Vapour
by EchoSerenade
Summary: Freak Show: There was just this nagging feeling that he couldn't brush away, as if someone was calling out to him. It stirred something below his belt and gripped his heart in its disembodied hands. It felt as if he had missed something that night – something important. Jimmy/OC Rated M. Trigger Warning (Fourth in my AHS series)
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I don't own American Horror Story or anyone involved in it. I only own Madi. This will apply throughout the entire story and series**

 **Warning: Trigger Warning. Rated M**

* * *

 **CHAPTER ONE**

I sat in my corner, watching the children with their parents. They always looked so happy. They'd fall and mommy would come running towards them with a soft scolding on their lips and a warm kiss that could heal any wound. I recalled something similar when I was younger.

My own mother had been a beautiful woman with long blonde hair that fell in loose curls. Whenever her mint green eyes looked down at me, I felt as if I was the only thing that mattered. She'd hold me close and rocked me to sleep. I'd dream pleasant dreams when I was with her. The prince always saved the princess and they'd live happily ever after.

It was when I woke up the next morning did the nightmares begin. Without her memories, she was like a completely different person. She was vicious and violent. She'd throw thing sat me and tied to get me to leave the house. In the morning, I was a stranger to her.

For the most part, I stayed out of her line of sight, hoping that that would keep her from going into another fit of rage. It was painful watching her stumble around, looking for things at the wrong places as if even this home was a foreign place. This home that she grew up in… I had to watch as day after day, she got worse and worse.

In the afternoon, I'd be the stray she had taken in. The cookies she baked were the best. Yummy, chocolatey, gooey… Just the way I liked it. I wanted to believe that deep inside, she knew who I was, but even then, I was walking on egg shells. Anything could trigger her.

By supper, I was her daughter again and I happily snuggled in her arms before everything repeated itself the next day. It was always the same. She'd always forget me in the morning.

Not once would she remember that by shooing me out, she'd be sending me to my death. It was painful. The light caressed my skin in false care before tearing it off my body. It'd scorch and burn. My skin would turn black and flake off and then, it'd go deeper. Layer and layer the sunlight pierced through me until I was nothing but ashes in the wind.

Sometimes, I'd be lucid enough to feel the cool air carrying me into the distance, but most of the time, I'd wake up later and find myself whole again. The only thing I'd remember was the excruciating pain.

And then, my mother would come running out to hug me, asking me where I had been all day and how careless I was to leave the house in my… condition. I had lost count of how many times she had killed me, but it was alright. It wasn't her fault. She didn't remember – she didn't know.

Soon, she knew nothing at all. The tumour in her head had finally killed her. I was young, alone, and with no means of supporting myself. The only thing I could think of that I could do was ask the ladies of the night to teach me their trade, but I was still too young for any of them to even be convinced that I was worth investing a second of their time to help. I somehow managed to survive in the house for two more years before the taxes and utilities became too much. I was chased out of my home. They took everything that I ever owned and I was left on the streets with nothing but the clothes on my back and a locket I managed to stuff into my pocket without them seeing.

It was a looping torture. Every morning, I'd die and every night, I'd come back. Sometimes, all I did was sleep until I was to die, again, because it was the only way to lessen the pain. It wasn't until another homeless man took pity on me did the cycle stop. I kept the blanket around me at all times. Nothing would steal it away from me because it was literally my life line.

Not long after, the town was used to me squatting in my usual alley. It was dark and filthy . The only people who'd care were the ones tossing their trash. One particular family always gave me their leftovers. It was the only way I was able to survive without stealing and I think that was one of the reasons why were so kind to me, but they were an obvious exception – a blessing.

It was normal for people to stop and stare. They may be used to me, but that didn't mean that they wouldn't treat me like a common animal in a zoo. Whenever they whispered, they thought I couldn't hear them. They thought I couldn't understand them. Some would even throw rocks at me to try to rile up a reaction, but I was already too numb to it all. It was only when they tried to pull my blanket away did I fight back. And then, I was really nothing better than an animal. Several times, I'd get the police checking up on all the commotion. Sometimes, I got complaints that I… _attacked_ one of the… _spectators_. Short of killing me, the police couldn't do much, but I didn't know for how long. I had heard of what those _law enforcers_ had done behind closed doors. It wasn't a very well-kept secret, after all.

"Mommy! Mommy! Who's that?"

I looked up to see a single, young girl standing in front of my alley. She was gawking at me as if she had seen a ghost. It wasn't an unreasonable assumption for young children. I knew that I was unusually pale from the lack of sun exposure, but it still wasn't alright. I was so sick and tired of this.

"Melly, don't say that!" her mother hissed, but I could see her own judging eyes on me. Her words were right, but I knew what she was thinking. Her thoughts were not unlike everyone else's. "Come on, now."

"But, mommy! She's a freak!" the girl continued on, obliviously. Her voice was loud enough to carry down the block, attracting more attention.

"Melly, we're going home, right now!" Her mother casted worried glances at me as if I was going to sprung up from my spot and eat them alive. I wondered what they'd do if I took off my blanket in broad daylight and burned in front of them. But then, I'd lose my blanket and that wouldn't have been worth it for that split second of satisfaction.

I stayed in my alley, trying my best to ignore everything and one day, no one came to the park anymore. Anyone who was out scurried along as if they were going to be shot down at any moment. Their paranoia made me paranoid. What was I missing? Was there going to be a tornado? Flash flood? Poisonous gas?! Were the Germans coming back?

For days, I wondered why everyone was so on edge. It was as if an alien had possessed them all overnight, but that wasn't it. When I first saw him, I knew exactly why they were living in such fear.

His face was whiter than mine and his mouth was covered by a mask – painting a permanent, demented smile that matched his eyes. He was dressed like a clown, but resembled a psychopath.

He stared at me from across the street and I couldn't help but keep my eyes on him for fear that he was going to run towards me with a knife. I knew I was being a hypocrite, but those red stains on his face, it looked like _blood_.

Eventually, I shifted my eyes away – only very briefly – but when I looked back, he was already gone. I spent the next hour fearing that he was going to peek his head around the corner, but that never happened. I was being silly, but needless to say, I slept with one eye open that day.

When night fully fell, I was on the move. The raggedy blanket swished around my legs as I hurried away. I didn't feel safe in my corner anymore. I kept feeling those eyes on me, burning almost as hot as the sun.

I walked and walked. My steps quickened and not long after, I was running as fast as I could. I ran and ran until the town was completely behind me. The fields became barren, the road uneven, but I even then, I kept going. I didn't stop until tiny dots of light met my eyes. They were stung up on poles and a scatter of tents blocked my path. The lights were dim as if they were only on to ward off unwanted visitors. Was this some kind of travelling circus? UI had never heard of them before. What if the clown came from here? Had I just walked right into the lion's den?

With that startling thought, I quickly turned around to leave when I hit a wall that hadn't been there before. My eyes stared at the bottom hem of the red blouse and moved up to see the tallest woman I had ever laid my eyes upon. Her brown hair was tied neatly behind her head in a very strict manner. She didn't exactly appear angry, but she didn't look happy either.

"What are you doing here?" she demanded.

I took a step back in fear. If she wanted to, I was sure that she could rip me in two with her bare hands. Would that be more painful than burning in the sun?

"Well?" Her muscles flexed threateningly before me.

"I – I…" I looked around. Maybe I was faster than her. I ducked down and tried to get around her looming form, but one long arm stretched out and snatched me up before I was able to even move a step away. My feet dangled in the air, kick around but finding no purchase.

My tiny stature had always been a problem, but I never thought I'd end up in a situation like this. "Let me go!" I shouted. It was no use.

"What is going on here?" A German drawl met my ears. I turned to see an older woman clad in a pink robe glare at me in annoyance. "Who on Earth are you?"

"Let me go!" I repeated. "I was just going to leave! I took a wrong turn and ended up here. I'm sorry, alright? I didn't mean to trespass… I just…" I just needed a place to go, but it was obvious this wasn't it. "I just want to go…"

She looked at me long. With a scoff, she walked up to me. "Look at you… pale as a ghost!" Her soft hand ran down my cheek. "Some kind of defect?"

I shook my head. No, but that was a direct correlation because of my… defect.

She huffed. "Let her go, but don't ever let me see you, again," she spat.

Needless to say, the moment the giantess let me go, I had scrambled away with no thoughts of ever returning. It came to no surprise to me that the clown, too, had come from this dysfunctional group.

…

"What was that?" A curly haired man stepped out of his tent, staring at the back of the form covered by an old, brown blanket. The figure was small. His first thought was that of a young female, but with the people he lived with, it could've been anyone. "Who's that?"

Elsa rolled her eyes. "Just another stray who thought that we give out free food and board. Not going to happen here." With that, she turned back into her trailer, leaving him with Amazon Eve who merely shrugged in return.

He turned back to stare off into the distance even when the stranger had long since disappeared into the darkness. There was just this nagging feeling that he couldn't brush away, as if someone was calling out to him. It stirred something below his belt and gripped his heart in its disembodied hands. It felt as if he had missed something that night – something important.

* * *

 _AUTHOR'S NOTE_

Firstly, I'm just going to express how surprised when some of you already found my **"V"** story. The title to that will most likely remain as such unless someone suggests a better title or something else comes up that seems more appropriate. That story will be released in tandem with the rest of the series and it will be the last story that ties everything together. I'm not sure if anyone else has written stories like this where the last story is being published slowly before everything is done, but I hope I haven't made a mistake in doing so!

And yes, this chapter was a bit short, but I meant it more of an introduction into Madi's new character. I've finally decided what I want from her. As I continued to watch it, it's only convinced me that I can definitely use it in the canon plot line and put my own twist on it. Currently, I just need to write some sort of brief outline and I'll be all set! Hopefully, this story will be better than the last. I really don't want to disappoint any of you.

Please, feel free to drop a review regarding this new chapter. I'll also take in suggestions and constructive criticisms!

Now, on to Freak Show… That was an emotional roller coaster and a half! What happened in the end was so perplexing…. Each character was strong enough to defend themselves and even work together… So how did it all fall apart in the end like that from ONE PERSON?!

I'm really hoping to change a couple of things using Madi without causing too much chaos and without making her Mary Sue. If that ever, _ever_ happens, please feel free to bring out the torches and pitchforks because I really don't enjoy those stories and I don't want you guys to suffer through them, either. The only problem is that I may get carried away sometimes. Oops!

Thank you everyone who reviewed the last chapter of **"Vessel."** I've decided to put the replies here.

Thank you **PorcelainPuppetLady, ThatOneGirlwiththeM, Applejax XD** , guests ( **Guest, AuroraSeven, anonymouscsifan** , and **Cosmo39** )!

 **PorcelainPuppetLady** : Thank you for sticking around! I really hope I'm not going to ruin your favourite season!

 **Guest** : Thanks you for the suggestions! I've contemplated a few of them and have written all of them down for future uses!

 **AuroraSeven** : I've definitely thought about that title, but ultimately I decided on Vapour because of Madi.

 **ThatOneGirlwiththeM** : I really wanted Madi to have a physical deformity, too! But after finishing the season and slowly trying to piece where Madi would go, I decided against it. I hope it won't make her Mary Sue, but there will be a twist regarding it… At least, there will be at the time I'm writing this reply to you. The story always seem to want to write itself despite me planning everything out in the beginning.

 **anonymouscsifan** : No problem! Thanks for the title suggestion! I hope you'll like this season as well! I was so surprised when you found "V."

 **Cosmo39** : Ha! Now you've tempted me to write one for Hotel, too. I was really wishy washy regarding that, but I feel like it's going to be incomplete without it.

 **Applejax XD** : I'm glad that Cordelia is the Supreme, too! I don't think anyone else would be as good for the position.


	2. Chapter 2

**CHAPTER TWO**

I wandered up and down the streets, feeling restless. There was nowhere for me to go and a murderous-looking clown was on the loose. Or was there? Had I possibly imagined the entire thing? I hadn't seen him around for several days. Perhaps the police had finally caught him. Surely, it couldn't be that difficult looking for someone dressed like _that_.

My pace calmed as I tried to convince myself that the town was safe – that I was safe. Why wouldn't I be? I was a nobody and I had lived here all my life. That wasn't going to change, now. With a nod to myself, I finally slinked back into my corner to observe the couple at the park. They were having a picnic.

It looked nice having someone to love you – to hold you. I closed my eyes, wondering if that was every going to be a possibility for me.

Unlikely.

I was a homeless freak with no redeeming features.

"Hey."

I jumped and looked at the stranger staring back at me. He had a friendly smile and dressed like someone who came from money. He was the complete opposite of me.

"Hi," I whispered back, wondering what he wanted.

He walked in, stopping in front of me and made to remove my blanket from my head, but I quickly ducked and pulled it tighter around me.

"Hey, I'm not here to hurt you." His tone was light. "Do you need money?" He thrust a five dollar bill in front of me and I resisted the urge to snatch it up. "Twenty? A hundred?"

I stared at the notes as he continued to pile them on to his outreached hand. Swallowing hard, I turned my head away. He had to want something. No one was that generous.

"No? How about a meal? My treat. You can keep the money, too."

I opened my mouth to decline, but a loud growl permeated the alley. I pressed a hand on my traitorous stomach, glaring down at the disobedient organ.

"We can go to the café nearby. Give me a chance to get to know you." His words were all right, but something about him was just… wrong.

My eyes shifted over to the couple who had already disappeared before looking back at the handsome man with the friendly smile. Maybe it was just me. Maybe this was a chance for a life I always wanted.

Finally, I conceded.

I kept the cover over my head as he tried fruitlessly to engage me into a conversation. Eventually, he babbled on about himself and how much he hated his servant, Dora.

When we arrived at the café, I sank down with a happy sigh. The seat were made from cheap plastic, but it was definitely an upgrade from the hard cement that had a permanent imprint of my body.

He allowed me to order anything and I greedily listed off half the menu. While I was distracted, he tugged my safety blanket off my head and I gasped in surprise.

My matted brown hair tumbled out in dirty clumps and I gaped at him as if he had just shot me.

There was a note of disappointment when he saw me and I quickly looked away to hide the hurt. I didn't know what he was expecting, but I definitely wasn't it. Did he really think that he was going to find some model-like lady beneath all the ugly? Did he think I was some hidden gem to be polished and made pretty?

"Y-you look so… _normal_ ," he muttered under his breath. "Look at me." He forcefully grabbed on to my chin to face him. "You're all filthy and pale, but nothing _freakish_! There's absolutely nothing special about you!"

I jerked away. "What do you even want from me? I'm not going to be kept like a pet for you to gawk at if that's what you're thinking!"

He glared. "No one would want to look at you, anyway."

I was unafraid to glare back and when the waitress returned with my drink, I threw it at him and stormed away, lifting the blanket to cover my head, once more. I didn't need him to tell me how worthless I was. I already knew.

It didn't matter that he had a pretty face and a lot of money. He was a disgusting human being who thought he could get a laugh from my appearance. It seemed that I wasn't normal enough to live with and not strange enough to gawk at. What an odd world…

When I walked by my alley, someone suddenly called out to me. It was the nice family's daughter. I had never really spoken to her before and she never showed any interest in me, either. Needless to say, I was surprised by the welcoming invitation into her home.

"I – I don't think I should…" I looked nervously around. As nice as they were, I had never been invited into the house and I didn't want to intrude.

"Come on!" she giggled, tugging me in. "My parents aren't here. It's just my sister and my friends. We're having a party and I thought you should join, too! Aren't you hungry?"

The scent of food had permeated the room. Since the trip to the diner had gone so poorly, I hadn't even had a bite to eat. I lamented how all of it was going to be wasted. That could've lasted me days! Weeks!

"Sit!" She pushed me down on to a cute, white wooden chair. "Luna, help me get the plates!" she shouted to her sister who had been whispering to a group of young women.

I saw all the curious glances my way and the chorus of giggles that followed. What were they playing at? I didn't want to think the worst of such a nice family, but I didn't know these people.

"Here! We baked these cookies. I hope you like them!" Both sisters were standing in front of me with their hands extended.

I looked at the plates offered and tentatively slid one off the white, porcelain plate. The cookie looked normal enough. I took a bite. They were crunchy.

"Why do you always cover your head?" Luna asked, gently tugging at the blanket, but not enough for it to fall off.

I shrugged. "It's the only thing I own," I told them. "I don't want to lose it." It had some form of truth in it and definitely more believable than the real reason.

Luckily, they accepted the reply and I was allowed to quietly nibble the pastry while they conversed amongst themselves. It wasn't as if I wasn't enjoying myself. I loved how this quaint house felt. It was warm with food to satisfy my belly and it had _life._ Being alone for so long just didn't help with my social problems. I wanted to join in on their conversation and laugh with them, but I didn't know how. I only understood half of the topics they were going on about and what I heard didn't peak my interest. I didn't know or care about the neighbour boy or one of their brothers. It wasn't as if they'd know me, either, or even want to know me.

"Whew!"

I jumped when a door slammed open and another woman stumbled out with a dreamy look on her face.

"Wow! You guys were right! He may be a freak, but that was amazing!" she sighed, joining the group who immediately bombarded her with questions. "It's too bad those things are there. He has a very handsome face. I could stare at it all day."

"Hey, why don't you give it a try, too?" someone asked me, a mischievous grin on her face.

Before I was able to respond, the blanket was ripped off me and two women were tugging at my hair with brushes. They took all the tangles off, but nothing would help how dirty it was. The strands clumped together unattractively and balls of dust and grime were visible.

"Here." I had a few notes stuffed into my hands. I looked at it in amazement. "Just go in there and give it to him. He'll know what to do." I couldn't believe that I had twenty dollars in my hands and they wanted me to give it away. I also couldn't believe that I was actually shuffling my feet towards the room with the opened door.

The bill felt heavy in my hands. I never even got to touch what the other man offered. I should've taken it while I could. Obviously, he didn't need it, but what about this guy?

Who was he? Why was I paying him? Was he going to give me something in return?

I bit my lips and took a step into the dim room. It was a stark contrast to the sitting space where bright lamps were lit and the conversation was light.

In here, I felt as if the room was pressing itself against me. There was a musky scent that made my nose crinkle and I nearly didn't notice the tall figure standing by the window. Half of his face was shrouded by shadows casted by the setting light piercing through the lacy curtains.

What I could see illuminated was a young man with short curly hair and deep, dark eyes. He looked to be observing me as I was observing him. Neither of us seemed to be expecting the other.

"H-here." I thrust my hand out, offering the money that I wasn't keen to let go of, but curiosity had gotten the best of me. I wasn't going to miss those bills for long. They weren't even mine to begin with.

He stepped forward to accept it. Not once did we break eye contact. It was as if I couldn't even if I wanted to. Something about him made my heart race and my thoughts mould into incoherent voices.

When he raised his hand, I noticed that they were covered by large, black gloves. Slowly, he took the money from me and stuffed it into his pocket. "Thank you."

I gulped. His voice was smooth like silk. And when he took another step towards me, I backed away. Why was he here?

He frowned. "Why are you here?" he asked, subconsciously hiding his hands behind his back. "Are you going to stand there and stare at me? Are you going to laugh at me?"

I shook my head. To be honest, I didn't know what I was going to do at all. I had gone with their plans and ended up here. 'A-are they trapping you here?" That seemed to be the only rational explanation in my head, but by the incredulous look on his face, I was obviously mistaken.

"You really don't know why you're here or who I am?" He had his eyes narrowed and his arms crossed over his lean chest.

I looked away, shaking my head.

'Well, I'm not giving the money back," he said. "So you can either stay for the experience or leave now. It doesn't make a difference to me."

"What kind of experience?" I blurted out before I could stop myself. Had that woman also experienced it? She had come out with what seemed like an almost drunken smile. They weren't doing drugs, were they? That was definitely not something I was going to try.

He advanced towards me until my back was against the wall. "Close your eyes," he murmured.

Hesitantly, I did as I was told. "What are you going to do?" My heart banged against my chest.

"Shh…" he hushed me.

My worn shirt was easy to remove. The cool air brought a shiver through my body, but it was nothing compared to the fleshy appendage that ran down from my cleavage to my navel. My eyes popped open and I stared at the odd digits in shock. His hands were grotesque as if they had melted together to form two claws.

When I shifted my eyes to his, again, I noticed how still he was as if waiting for my reaction. "Do you want me to stop?" He began to move his hand away and when I noticed how the warmth quickly disappeared with him, I shook my head. "Are you sure? I don't want to be known for forcing women to…"

"No, keep going," I whispered, gently taking his hand and brought it back to my chest, shivering as our skin touched.

He pulled me away from the wall and when I tumbled into his arms and against his torso, I could hear his heart race. Was mine just as loud? Could he hear it, right now?

In another second, I was thrown on to the bed. He tugged at the hem of the skirt and leaned back. I was staring at him with wide eyes. "Are you going to…?"

"If you want me to," he replied, gliding his hand up my thighs. I didn't stop him even when he stopped on top of my cotton underwear. My heart felt as if it as going to burst out from my chest, but I kept still.

The appendage hooked aside the thin piece of fabric before fingering my mound. I suppressed a shudder. What was keeping me still? This should've been enough to send me screaming – send anyone screaming, but I wanted more.

My hips buckled and I let out a moan of pain and pleasure when the thick digit entered me. I had never been touched there before and all the horror stories mother used to tell me about it all came rushing back. He had just punctured me – left a hole that would never heal – and I was most likely bleeding everywhere. Would I die of blood loss?

But when he pulled out abruptly as if realising what had just happened, I felt… disappointed. I wanted to feel him back inside me, so I reached up and pulled him down by the collar of his shirt. He fell atop of me with a startled, "Oof!"

"You're a virgin!" he quietly exclaimed as if I didn't know. "I shouldn't be…"

"It's fine," I reassured him. "It doesn't really hurt anymore." There was just a dull ache left behind from the pain, but a new flame was lit. I didn't want him to stop there. I wanted more. "Please…"

Whatever he saw in my eyes gave him the courage to continue. He teased my folds and slid the bottom claw inside me while the top rubbed against a sensitive bundle of nerves that left me a moaning mess beneath him.

"You're so beautiful," he groaned, brushing back my hair. "You're not like the other girls."

I whimpered when he quickened his pace. Nothing would make me understand why he made me feel this way.

His pelvis ground against me while he continued to thrust with his hand.

I let out a cry and shook my head from side to side as I was taken off guard by the wave of liquid pleasure bursting in my body. I never wanted to leave this position. I wanted to feel this forever with him.

He sighed, rubbing against me one last time and got off. He opened his mouth and was about to say something, but the sound of giggling met our ears.

"I think he actually came!" one of the girls squealed.

"I knew freaks belonged with freaks!" Allina laughed along. "He must finally be happy to find someone like him!"

My face lit up when I realised what had happened. This was all a trick. I knew nothing good happened whenever someone pretended to be nice to me.

I quickly collected my clothes and threw them on. "Did you know?" I stared at him. My lips trembled and my eyes were red from the sheer will of keeping the ears in. "Did you?!"

"I… I…"

I shook my head and ran, pushing past the gaggle of girls who all pointed and laughed.

…

Jimmy gaped at the girl who left like a whirlwind. He donned on his gloves and glared angrily at the women who were dressed like ladies, but behaved like hyenas. "Don't even bother calling me, again," he snarled.

When he left the house, he tried to spot the tiny brunette, but she was already long gone. With a sigh, he threw his leg over his motorcycle and made his way back home.

He couldn't stop thinking about her. She had looked at him with an innocence that was foreign to him. It was naïve like Meep or Pepper. It was full of curiosity and the desire to explore what more the world had to offer, but she was still untouched.

All the other ladies were a lot more experienced than any of them would like to admit. He could still remember how she smelled,. It was so overwhelming, covering up the musk that was left behind by the others. Sure, there had been a layer of dirt that dampened her natural scent, but he could still feel it linger in his nose. It was something else. Something delectable.

His hand twitched. She was so soft. And although she had the same look of shock and even disgust, she had pulled him back towards her and accepted him. She saw and accepted the ugly that was his very being.

He shook his head. No, normal girls like her didn't like freaks like him. She was most likely just fascinated with his stupid birth defect. She was the same as everyone else.

With that, he felt his heart slow back down to a more manageable rate. That was right. She was just like everyone else with her pretty face and pretty friends who all talked behind her back. What did she even know about the pain that he had to go through?

He snarled after parking his motorcycle and kicked the ground angrily. For a moment, he thought they had some kind of connection, but it was all foolishness.

"What's wrong, Jimmy?" he heard the soft voice of Bette ask him. Her sister, Dot, was also looking at him with concern. The conjoined twins were the newest addition to the group. They were nice enough and he knew that he would put his life on the line for them, but as much as he tried, he couldn't concentrate long enough to hold a conversation with them.

"I'm fine," he curtly replied. "Don't worry about me. It's just been a long day."

"Oh… okay…" Bette looked down.

"We're here if you need someone to talk to," Dot gave him a small smile.

He flashed them a grin before hurrying away to finish himself off in privacy.

He really hated her, right now.

* * *

 _AUTHOR'S NOTE_

Wow! Thank you all so much for reviewing and all the encouraging words! I really hope I don't disappoint any of you guys!

Fun Fact: The little naughty scene of their meeting, some of it was actually taken from a one-shot that I wrote right after I watched the season. It was never typed or uploaded and it was a very short one page (Maybe around five hundred words) story on a slightly different first encounter for them!

Also, if you guys are expecting smooth sailing for them, I wouldn't hope too hard! It's going to be a VERY bumpy right for them. You know me and how I usually go about them.

Thank you **ThatOneGirlwiththeM, Bumblebee1013, Princess Miracles, Mystery Angle** , guests ( **Cosmo39, Guest, anonymouscsifan, AuroraSeven, DaisyChain** ) for reviewing!

 **ThatOneGirlwiththeM** : Yes! Please, do call me out if she's ever Mary Sue! She does have a skin condition that I took to the extreme and it'll work with my twist! You'll just have to wait for it. I think I may use that name… "The Burning Woman." Hmm… You'll know if I do and I'll surely give you the credit for it!

 **BumbleBee1013** : I'm so glad you find Madi interesting! I'm always nervous about two things… Making Mary Sue OCs and then falling into the other spectrum of making an OC that is too boring.

 **Cosmo39** : Their first meeting! Was it something you expected? Give me a poke near the end of this story and I just might tell you if I'll be writing a fanfiction on Hotel! Or give me a poke every chapter… Teehee… I love hearing from you!

 **Princess of Miracles** : I actually can't wait to start on the next chapter already! Freak Show has really renewed my love of AHS.

 **Guest** : Yay! I hope you liked this chapter!

 **anonymouscsifan** : Oops… I never did specify an age did I? I never really thought of one… She's an adult. Maybe nineteen or so? Somewhere around there. Age never seems to be too important to me and I seem to miss it all the time… I wonder if I should make a page of just Madi profiles for each season… I didn't know James ends up with the Countess! That's definitely not going to happen if I get my hands on it! Yes! Yes! Edward Mordrake is important to my story! Check every week! I typically post around the same day of the week… But I slack off every once in a while and disappoint all you guys… Oops!

 **AuroraSeven** : I love Amazon Eve! There will be a few people she's going to get close to in this story!

 **Mystery Angle** : I'm so glad you liked this! I like making things a little different. Keep you guys on your feet!

 **DaisyChain** : Ahahaha! I'm so happy to have watched it! I can't stop thinking about it!

Thank you as well to everyone who has favourited and followed this story!

I hope you guys will all continue to review like this!

You don't know how happy it makes me seeing those email notifications! I check them when I wake up, during breaks at work, when I get home… Up until I go to bed and sometimes in bed! I may just be a little obsessed… But really, thank you guys so, so much! Your words get through very hard days!

Edited: Thank you **anonymouscsifan** for pointing out those typos! I need to be more attentive sometimes… Especially when spell check fails me. Meep!


	3. Chapter 3

**CHAPTER THREE**

My face was still flushed in horror even after the house was no longer visible. I had run as far as my breath would last me and didn't even have a chance to grab my blanket. I was glad that the sun had set enough and only patches of light still filtered through the shadows.

By the time I stopped in the middle of the park, I was convinced that I was going to have a heart attack. The muscle was working over time, pounding violently in my chest. All the blood was rushing to my head and my vision became dotted with black. It didn't help that there was a foreign ache between my legs that was a constant reminder of what I had done.

Eventually catching my breath, I slid down to my knees and curled up into a ball. I couldn't believe that I had been so stupid. I allowed the girls to lure me into a false sense of security.

And through everything, I still couldn't stop thinking about him. His hands were indeed grotesque, but they didn't define who he was. He was kind and gentle. Something about him drew me in and I was utterly afraid of what they would mean for me.

I sighed and fell on to my back. The grass was soft as they brushed against me. It was a very nice night out. The moon felt wonderful on my skin and I could see the stars twinkling back at me. I just wasn't excited for the morning to come.

 _"You must protect yourself,"_ my mother had warned me. _"You are always number one priority."_ She'd repeat this often and I had tried my best to follow it, but what a wonderful job I had done so far…

That night, I couldn't sleep. I stared at the sky, wondering exactly why I had given myself to him. He had been an absolute stranger… Was it just the need to be accepted? Had I been so desperate for approval that I allowed myself to behave like a common harlot?

I choked back tears as all the emotions came crashing together. From the encounter with the man and the café to the stranger in the bedroom, it has all gone so horrible wrong.

What would mother think of me, now?

I threw my head back and laughed. When I turned to the side, I Saw him staring at me, again. The demented smile was still painted on its ghastly face. His blade glinted dangerously in the moonlight.

He never moved even when I continued to stare at him or even stumble on to my feet. "Well?! Aren't you going to come at me? I'm right here! Come on! _Kill me!"_ I screamed. My arm was thrust to the side, leaving me completely vulnerable. "Why do you keep staring at me? Leave me alone!" I screamed until he tilted his head and for a moment, I thought he was really going to take me up on the offer.

I waited, panting in frustration. His eyes remained fixated on me for a moment longer before he turned and simply walked away.

 _He walked away._

I wasn't even worth the time to be killed… I shook my head in disbelief.

The sun really couldn't come long enough. I had no sleep that night. Instead, I stared towards the east and happily greeted my murderer. For a split second, the warmth was wonderful, but it didn't take long for the agony to begin. It mercilessly ripped me apart.

When the pain stopped, I was floating weightlessly in the air. It felt like falling asleep and dreaming after pulling several all-nighters. The relief was indescribable.

I sighed, happily allowing the wind to carry me wherever it wanted. I seemed to be nowhere, yet everywhere at once. As much as I hated my curse, this was actually quite pleasant. If only it was always like this. Most of the time, I'm instantly brought back to Earth, completely naked and scrambling for scraps to cover myself up. The only immediate memory would be the agony of being turned to ash.

At least now, I was able to relax if only for a short moment.

 _SCREEEEEEEECH!_

My eyes snapped open and I felt a bruising pain slam into my hips. Is tumbled back, gasping and wondering where the sudden pain had come from. It didn't usually return so quickly.

"Oh, my God!" I heard a horrified woman scurry towards me on her heels. "Oh, my dear. Are you okay?"

I blinked at the stars that were still twinkling at me. Sometimes, I felt like a star that just kept burning. Would I finally go out, one day, soon? Would I be happy to finally find peace?

"We haven't killed her, have we?" she fretted.

"You were the one driving, mother," a bored voice droned. It sounded familiar. "You would be the murderer. There's really no _we_ in it."

A thin woman bent over me. Only one eye reflected the light. The other was off-coloured and dull. "Are you okay, dear?"

The next moment, I stared at the man who had been so rudely shouting at me the day before. "It's you." He wasn't shouting this time. No, there was a fascinated spark in his eyes as if he had finally found what he was looking for. "You _are_ special! I knew my instincts couldn't be wrong!"

I said nothing as he happily went on.

"Dandy, let's get the poor girl some clothes first. She's naked!" Indeed, I wonder what they were thinking, right now. Here there was a naked girl who appeared out of nowhere and unfortunately right in front of their car.

"Yes, mother. Let's bring her back and give her clothes – food, too. I'm sure she's absolutely _famished_." he gleefully added.

I was about to refuse, but he was already hulled me to my feet and stuffed me into the backseat of their car. It smelled overwhelmingly of cologne that burned my nostrils.

My nose crinkled with distaste. It was difficult to even breathe normally. I was glad when the car finally stopped. We had arrived at a very beautiful, gated home.

Even in the dark, I could tell that the garden was perfectly done. The concrete was smooth beneath my bare feet as I was led into the home.

"Stay right there while Dora fetches you a nice, clean set of clothes" The woman scurried about while Dandy continued to stare as if I was nothing but a zoo animal. "Dora! Get my old clothes from the attic!" She, then, turned back towards me, wrung out her hands, and snatched up a thin robe from the couch to place around me. It was a rich burgundy and smelled exactly like the man beside me.

"You look a lot cleaner than yesterday," he mused. He made no attempts at being discreet as he leered up and down my body.

I held back a disgusted shudder. It was one of the only perks of being burnt alive. All the filth gets burnt with me. I couldn't wait to burn his scent off me, as well.

"Now, I know we – I mean, I – hit you with a car, but you're alright, aren't you?" the mother went on obliviously. "I really don't want law enforcements to get involved. Do you want money? Food? Clothes? Jewels? Anything?"

"How about a job?" Dandy suggested with a smirk.

I narrowed my eyes, but before I could even say anything to refute it, the mother was already gushing at the idea. "You're so clever, Dandy. Do you want a job, here? You should stay in case of any injuries that you find alter. Dora can always use the help. It _is_ a very big house, you know."

"I – "d I stared at them dumbfounded. Where these people for real? I suddenly felt as if I was in one of those ridiculous comedies that mother used to watch.

"Here are the clothes, Gloria." Dora came in with her maid uniform. Her skin was a stark contrast to the other two and her face was stern as she observed me, but at least she hadn't gone on to worshipping Dandy, yet. That was always a good sign.

"Get her a set of your old uniforms, too! We're going to have new help!" Gloria rejoiced without hearing my protests.

Dora sighed and nodded. "Come on, I might as well show you around, now." I quickly scurried over to her, relieved to finally be away from the other two. For a moment, I thought I was going to lose my sanity.

"Are they… always like that?" I quietly inquired, hoping that I wasn't going to offend her.

She gave me an appraising look and surprisingly seemed to like what she saw. "Unfortunately, Gloria's spoiled the brat rotten. Gave him everything he ever wanted and now, he won't' listen to a word anyone says. He lays around doing who knows what all day and never even tries to do anything productive." She went on even when I entered the bathroom to change. The dress was old, but felt soft and luxurious. It was no doubt very expensive and I was afraid that the trailing hem was going to snag and rip.

I stepped out and Dora suppressed a laugh. 'You're as tiny as a child. We're not going to have anything that will fit you here."

"I… I really don't want to stay here, D-Dora," I confessed. Would she help me? I really only needed a moment to escape. "I'm not hurt or anything. You can tell them that they don't have to worry about me reporting them." I really had no intentions of doing so. There was far too many complications with that.

She raised an eyebrow at me. "No? Well, that's good to hear. You don't know how many people would jump at the chance of gaining even a fraction o the Mott's fortune. Although, maybe you're just smart and you know that they'll kill you before they'll really part with their money."

"I swear, I just want to go… And maybe take a thin blanket with me. I lost my old one…" I dreaded over dying every morning again until I found another safety blanket.

She stopped in her tracks to turn to me. "How about this, I'll tell Gloria that you have a job elsewhere, but you won't mind staying for a few days as compromise, just to settle her worry heart. I'll even give you an old blanket that Dandy doesn't' want, anymore." She rolled her eyes with an irritated sigh. "He hasn't even touched it since his mother gave it to him five years ago. Apparently, the shade of red wasn't quite right."

My face split into a happy grin. "Yes! That sounds wonderful! Thank you!" I jumped to hug her and was delighted to feel her gently wrap her arms around me. She was warm and motherly!

"Alright. Stop this nonsense, now. I have work to do and Dandy will probably want this tossed after someone else has worn it."

"No, I don't." I froze when I heard his voice from the end of the hall. "IN fact, why don't you give it to me, now? I'd like to keep it safe." He strolled over in several large strides, plucked the robe from Dora, and gave it a deep sniff. "Yes, I'll take that off your hand, now." He turned to me and wrinkled his nose. "We'll need to get you something else to wear. Mother's fashion style I just so dreary. Why don't we go tomorrow morning?"

My eyes widened and I shook my head. "No need. I don't mind this. It's very comfy."

"And doesn't suit you, at all. We'll go tomorrow."

And that was that.

Dora was right, he didn't listen to anyone and it was disconcerting that Gloria only seemed to listen to her son. Was the maid going to be able to get me out of this situation? This place really wasn't that far from the park. I didn't want them to find me again if I ran away. Where was I going to go?

"Come along, then." Dora briskly dragged me away from Dandy who still had the silly grin on his face. I could feel his dark stare burn into the back of my head. "That boy is all bark and no bite. There's really no need to be scared of him, at all. When his mother isn't around, I make sure to try to teach him some proper manners, but he's as dense as a rock."

I chanced a look over my shoulder. He was still there and even gave me a small, mocking wave. The glint in his eyes made me shudder. He definitely didn't seem harmless. In fact, I was sure that the way he stared at me was almost reminiscent to the demented clown, but even it didn't' make me feel this way.

Dora showed me to a well-kept guest room and left to talk to Gloria about my situation. The room was absolutely stunning – spacious and soft. The walls were pastel with the low glow of a lamp in the corner for illumination. Before I even sat on the bed, I knew I was going to love and miss it.

I walked over to the mahogany desk and fingered the notepad and pen. The book was empty and I figured that it was meant for the guests to make use of it, so I sat down and began to write.

It had been so long since I last took pen to paper and my writing was atrocious, but slowly, I was able to make it legible. The letters were all slanted in different directions, something resembling a child's writing. I hated it, so I kept going until the letters were more recognisable and I was satisfied with what I wrote for the day.

I turned off the lamp and crawled into the oversized bed, lavishing in how it felt against my skin. It glided like water and almost weightless as I comfortably settled with my head on the fluffy pillow.

As my consciousness began to fade, I could feel his hands on me, again. Those mutated digits was like a magic wand. They bespelled me until I was nothing but a puddle of goo that wrapped so blissfully around them.

If only he had felt the same way.

I turned to my side when the sinking feeling tugged at my stomach, again. There was finally someone I liked who would only use me for money…

Had he laughed the hardest when I left? Was it a good joke for him? That moment may have meant nothing to him, but it was something I was never going to forget. Maybe I could get a bit of money from this family to go to another town, just enough for transportation. I didn't want them after me.

The door suddenly creaked open and I froze. Was someone inside or was I dreaming? The bed dipped and an arm wrapped around my waist. I felt him take a deep breath before letting out a satisfied hum. "I know you're not asleep," I heard him whisper into my ears.

I resisted the urge to pull away, but I was also afraid of what he was going to do to me if I did that.

"If you want to play it that way… I guess you'll have no choice but to listen to what I have to say," he purred. "I heard what you were saying to that bitch. You're never going to leave here and I'll make you see that you'll enjoy living here." He pulled me closer and his cologne was making it difficult to breathe evenly.

"I know what I saw. I saw you appear out of nowhere in front of the car. I knew you were special the moment I saw you and I should never have doubted myself."

I bit my lips to keep from cussing him out. Doubted himself? He was atrociously rude then and creepy, now!

When he pressed even closer to me, I half expected to feel a familiar bulge similar to the man with the hands, but there was nothing impressive with what I came in contact with. He was either tiny or not sexually aroused by any aspect of me. Or perhaps… he was impotent. That would explain all the things he was overcompensating for. I gleefully accepted the latter as the cause and tried to relax myself enough to fall asleep.

Eventually, I managed to ignore the extra presence in the bed and even successfully imagined that he was my cruel mystery man.

I had a dream full of hands on my body. They were all deformed – merged as if there were only two fingers and a thumb. His dark, lustful eyes pierced into my own as I willingly gave myself to him.

The cruel laughter remained in the background to taunt me, but I ignored it. I couldn't deny the attraction between us. I needed to feel him, again.

I needed…

I needed.

I let out a shriek of pain as it ripped through my face.

* * *

 _AUTHOR'S NOTE_

Sorry! No Jimmy this chapter! Maybe some of him in the next one. You know me… I don't usually rush head on into the canon plot… There will be quite a lot of original content here and I hope you guys don't mind!

Thank you **Bumblebee1013** , guests ( **anonymouscsifan, Cosmo39, AuroraSeven, DaisyChain** ) for reviewing!

 **anonymouscsifan** : Thanks again for pointing out those typos! I tend to type these up pretty late, so I may miss a lot while trying to stay awake! You're getting me excited to watch Hotel, if only to see where I can insert Madi everywhere!

 **Bumblebee1013** : They'll officially meet… soon!

Cosmo39: Poke! I'm glad you didn't mind how I wrote their first encounter! More Dandy here! Probably a bit more later on as well! He's so weird…

 **AuroraSeven** : Thank you‼ You'll see! I hope you like the people I found to be her friends!

 **DaisyChain** : You'll know soon! All will be revealed… In the not so recent future… Probably near the end… Or in " **V**." I haven't figured that out, yet.

Thank you as well to everyone who has favourited and followed this story!

Please, leave a review if you enjoyed the chapter and it'll really, really make my day!


	4. Chapter 4

**CHAPTER FOUR**

I gasped for air as I laid on the evenly cut lawn. The blades of grass swished from side to side, tickling me from all around.

The breeze felt nice on my bare skin and even the sensation of a small earthworm crawling on my foot couldn't pull me out of this dazed, euphoric state.

The only thing that seemed to be missing was a warm body wrapped against my own. He'd whisper sweet nothings into my ears or dark secrets that would make me gasp in anticipation. He'd hold me as only a lover would. He'd –

"Mother! She's back!" I was pulled from my thoughts as his smug face appeared before my own. "Well, now we know why you're so special. Did you have fun? I know that I did!" he sang. "It was great watching you burn. Let's do it again, later."

My eyes widened at his dark smirk and I tried to scramble away, but he quickly grabbed me by the waist, effortlessly trapping my arms to my side.

"Is she alright?" Gloria worried like the mother she appeared to be. She watched as her son manhandled me into the house, seemingly completely unfazed by his actions.

"I'm sure she'd be fine in a bit," he joyously replied. "We really shouldn't let her out of the house. She seems to have a serious… sensitivity to the sun. There's absolutely no doubt in my mind that she's much safer here with us."

I shook my head, trying desperately to kick him away, but it was no use. All I could do was stare pleadingly at Dora who looked away. "Please…"

"Put her back in her room. I've already had Dora replace the bed spread, pillow, and mattress. What a mess, you left! We'll make sure to keep the blinds down during the day, from now on. You'll have no worries here in our home." Gloria beamed at me as if I had just come back from a shopping trip instead of being burned alive because her son had decided to open the curtains and watch me scream.

Shaking my head in utter disbelief, I was vaguely away of him dragging me down the hall and back into the darkened room. He dropped me in the centre of the chamber and locked the door behind him. An amused look appeared on his face as he began to pace.

"You know… This can work pretty well for us," he started. "I can do the morning shows and you can do the night ones because even I can't work twenty-four seven. We can be the next big thing! People from all over the world would want to see us!" He stopped in front of my kneeling form and bent down. The malicious glint in his eyes sent chill down my spine. "And if they get bored of the night shows, I'm sure a lot of them will love to see you burn. It's just such a delight!"

I narrowed my eyes. "Fuck you!" I spat.

He twirled around and began pacing again as if I hadn't said anything at all. He went on and on with his plans. He expected an astronomical turnout and international fame. His ideas were half-formed and concentrated on the success rather than the time and work needed. The amount of flaws in his thoughts told me that he had absolutely no idea how this world worked or perhaps he completely overestimated himself. Most likely, it was both.

I fell to my side and zoned out, wandering how I was going to get away. Would Dora be able to do anything for me? She seemed to be sympathetic with my situation, but I was afraid that she wouldn't be convinced enough to help me. I knew that what I asked of her yesterday was big enough, but I really couldn't stand this place, anymore. There wasn't, however, and reason why she would go against her employer for a street rat like me.

"Well, have some sleep, now. You're getting up bright and early to practice with me." With that, he slammed the door shut and I was finally alone.

After a few minutes, I tiredly got to my feet and tugged fruitlessly at the door. It was a half-hearted attempt that I knew would fail, but there was no hurt trying. As expected, it was locked from the other side. Why was I not surprised? The only option was through the window, but when I looked down and saw how high up it was, I knew that I wouldn't have a chance. If I broke my legs, I was going to burn when the sun came up and reappear just to be captured, again.

I let out a frustrated scream before plopping down on to the desk and furiously wrote in the notepad. It didn't even matter that nothing was legible. I just had so many thoughts and emotions inside me and if I didn't get it out in some way, I was going to implode!

The words flowed in messy rapids. Up and down, through the lines, between the lines. The words came and went and left an inky trail behind them.

When my hand cramped up, I finally stopped.

I had always envied people with big houses and lots of money, but I knew better now. They were all lunatics on the inside. Their world was dangerous. They looked like everyone else, but it was all a mask to hide their true lifestyle – their inhumane cruelty.

…

As promised, Dandy came in early the next morning to wake me. I was glad that he hadn't given me another visit at night, but seeing his face at any point of the day made me want to hurl myself into the sun. If only I could wake up elsewhere, then nothing would stop me, but I always had the tendency to reappear somewhere close by.

"Here, put this on." He thrust a short red dress into my arms. "Go change. No one wants to see you in your night clothes."

I shuffled my feet over behind the changing screen and came back out feeling even more uncomfortable than before. The dress was ridiculously short, even for my stature. It looked as if it would belong to a child. The doll-like qualities made me wonder if he had some inner fetishes that he was trying to hide with this façade.

"Oh, good." He beckoned me over after seeing that I was done. "Go stand there and pretend you're one of those dancing ballerinas. You know, the ones in those music boxes that mother likes?"

I really had no idea what he was referring to, so I stared blankly back at him, but he wasn't deterred. He moved me on to the makeshift stage and began to position me accordingly.

I was on my tippy toes and stretched impossibly high with my hands raised and slightly curved. I felt taller than I ever did before, but the pain in my feet also made it difficult to stay still.

"Okay, now spin in a circle," he ordered, crossing his arms as he scrutinised everything I did.

I slowly shifted my toes in a circle, careful not to touch the sliver of light that was filtering through a crack in the curtains.

"No! No!" He stomped his feet like a child when I finished my cycle. Clearly, I had done something wrong. 'More graceful! What are you, an elephant?"

He made me repeat the motion over and over again until my feet felt as if they were about to break and I could barely feel my arms.

Eventually, I was spared his wrath when Gloria strolled in with a pleasant smile on her face. "Madison, you look beautiful!" she exclaimed. "Dandy really has good taste. I'm so happy to see you two having fun."

Her son smiled deceptively back at her. "Yes, look what she can do, mother." He gestured for me to do the twirl as if I was nothing but a trained animal.

I glared at him, but complied, hating myself as she clapped gleefully.

"Well done!"

I half expected her to start throwing peanuts at me to continue on being a fool.

"Didn't you used to dance when you were young, mother?" he asked, blinking his eyes innocently at her. "Perhaps you could teach her a few things while I get lunch."

"Oh, well…" Gloria looked uncomfortably back, but her son had already left the recreation room. "I guess I can teach you a few simple things."

I relaxed as she stepped towards me and began to gracefully dance across the room. One foot in front of the other, her movements were all well calculated and beautiful as if she was still a young woman practicing her solo. Watching her was like watching

If I had been normal, would mother have taken me to dance classes? Would I have been as good as Gloria?

A hit of jealousy made me stop the thoughts. There was no point dwelling on it now, was there? I was not normal and I was never going to be normal. There was never going to be a day where mother could've taken me out and enjoyed the sun. We were never going to…

Tears welled up in my eyes and I dropped down to my knees, quietly sobbing as Gloria came to a stop and rushed over to me. She held me and comforted me as any mother would for a crying child, but she was not _my_ mother. My mother would never trap me with a sadist who would like nothing more than to watch me writhe in pain. My mother was a strong mother who would've straightened me out if she knew I was doing anything wrong. She would never have allowed all this to go on and condone it.

I clenched my jaws, dried my tears, and pushed her away. "Stop acting like you actually _care_!" I shouted. "If you cared, then this wouldn't be happening! You know exactly what kind of person your son is, yet you're turning a blind eye and indulging him as if your life is picture perfect. Well, guess what? It's _not!_ Are _you_ even happy living here with a monster like him? Are y – "

I suddenly felt a burst of pain that knocked me to the side and made my vision go black as I heard Gloria's shocked gasp.

"Mother, you're not going to let her talk to me like that, are you?" he sneered. 'I am your son, aren't I? Why don't you go for lunch, now? The food's growing cold. I'm just going to have a lovely chat with Madison here. Don't worry."

My sight cleared and I saw his blurry form crouch in front of me. "And you!" His hands tightened around my hair to pull me up by my head. My neck was cranked into a painful angle and I clawed at him, trying to get him to let go. "Did you think you could convince her to go against me? She's _my_ mother. She loves _me_! Do you even know what that feels like? Do you even know who your mother is? You're nothing if I hadn't picked you off the streets! You're – "

I spat into his eye and my head slammed back down on to the floor. I groaned, trying to roll away, but his leather shoe came crashing down on to my ribs and I elicited another painful gasp of air when I felt my bones waver against his weight.

"You're so pathetic. Look at you… Nothing more than an ant beneath my boots and that is where you will stay as I _will_ crush you into the dirt. Who's even going to miss you? You're a freak!"

I glared at him. "At least… At least, I'm not delusional. You know what I really think? You're not as loved as you perceive yourself to be. I mean, who'd want a child like you? You're a monster trapped beneath human skin. _You're_ the freak!"

Hearing a roar, I briefly felt the relief of his weight off me and the horror of seeing the boot speeding towards my head.

…

I woke up feeling like I was floating. I was light as a cloud and free as a bird. They chirped all around me and I felt one land on my chest. It gently pecked my skin, looking for sustenance. When it found nothing, it opened its wings. The soft feathers brushed against my chin as it took flight.

My breath came out even as I began to drift off, again. I was at a good place. The daze lulled me to sleep as the warmth of the sun felt like a soft, fuzzy blanket that –

My eyes snapped open and I tried to sit up, but found myself strapped down to a stone table. "No… No…"

"You're awake." He grinned at me from his lawn chair, an amber drink in his head. "But for how long, this time?"

"DANDY! GET ME OUT OF HERE!" I screamed when the heat started from my feet and ticked by agonisingly slow to move up my legs. "DANDY!" The pain was excruciating as oblivion came slowly.

"Admit that you're jealous of what I have," he taunted, taking a sip from his straw.

"Fuck you!" I cursed, but looked fretfully back at the rising sun peeking above the trees. "You're a monster who doesn't even know the meaning of love!"

The burns rose up my stomach. I turned my head from side to side. Thoughts melted into nothing just as the rest of me was becoming. I began to slam my head against the stone slab in an attempt to ease the pain. My throat was already hoarse from screaming and all I could let out were the silent cries for release.

Even as the light reached my face, I burned too slowly. I died too slowly.

"I'll see you tomorrow," I heard his chair creak and his voice fade away. "I hope this has been more memorable than yesterday."

My final thought was wondering what day it was and how many times I had died by his hands already.

…

I stared at the darkness with the stars teasing maliciously at me. I reached up as if I could pull myself towards it and into the sky to live amongst them. My arm flopped back down on to the grass when I reminded myself that it was an impossibility.

Subconsciously, I felt something draped on top of me and gentle hands pulled me up. I dragged my feet with them as they led me inside and on to the soft couch. "Stay here. I'll get you something to eat."

She left and I was alone again where my thoughts went back towards the freedom I would never have. I turned my head to look out the window where I saw a small form dart across the yard. It flitted in and out of frame before perching itself by the window. Its beady black eyes stared curiously at me before lifting its nose to sniff the glass pane. The bushy tail swished excitedly as it seemed to detect something it wanted.

"Here. I reheated this for you." I watched Dora set the tray on my lap and my lips began to tremble. 'God knows how much food this household wastes, but the brat always wants a good selection to choose from even though he always east the same damn thing, everyday."

"Please…"

"Hm?"

"Please…" I whispered a little louder, begging her.

She turned her sad eyes on me. 'I'm sorry. I tried. The best I can do is make you feel as comfortable as possible before…"

Before I died, again.

That was going to be my life from now on, wasn't it?

What a joke…

"I'll help you to bed after you're done."

I slowly dug in, the fork shovelling half-heartedly into the rice. I watched the perfectly cooked granules fall to the side and stuffed whatever was left into my mouth. I was sure that it tasted fine, but right now, it felt no better than gravel as I painfully swallowed.

I lifted me hand up and down robotically a couple more times before something caught my eyes – something that didn't quite belong. There was a piece of soggy paper sticking out beneath the rice.

With renewed energy, I pulled it out to find the note. It was brief, but enough to rekindle my hope.

I smiled.

Dora really wasn't' so bad. I was going to have to help her out when I got out of here. I knew that she couldn't by happy living with Dandy.

I stuffed the small piece of paper into my mouth and hummed almost happily as the words melt on my tongue and remained engraved in my head.

 _There's a show they'll be going to soon. I'll convince them to take you, as well. That will be your only chance._

* * *

 _AUTHOR'S NOTE_

Sorry, no Jimmy again! He should be back next chapter, so no worries! I haven't forgotten him (as if I could…). This section with Madi and Dandy was really only supposed to last half or one chapter, but somehow it got away from me, as most chapters do, and… yeah…

Needless to say, the outline that I wrote at the beginning of the story has been shifted a lot. The original outline was for around eighteen to nineteen chapters, now I'm not so sure because I'm already behind schedule! Please feel free to tell me if I go on a tangent for too long regarding the story and I'll try to swing it back to the canon plot. I really don't want to make you guys bored. Please. Please. Please, tell me if that's the case.

Thank you **PorcelainPuppetLady, Bumblebee1013** , guests ( **anonymouscsifan, DaisyChain, AuroraSeven, Cosmo39** ) for reviewing!

 **PorcelainPuppetLady** : Happy belated birthday‼ I've watched Season 6! It's actually the first season I've watched as it is coming out and… I was kind of disappointed. The story was rather weak and of course, there wasn't a lot of Evan Peters. I really need another season where he's the centre of the story! That being said, it never stopped me from imagining how Madi would fit into it and I did get some inspiration, so the season wasn't that horrible. I just wish that there was something deeper into it. How about you? What did you think of Season 6?

 **Bumblebee1013** : Yay! Thank you for reviewing‼!

 **anonymouscsifan** : I agree with your view of Dandy! There's something I really like, yet really hate about him. He had so many sides to him and it really makes him intriguing… If I ever want to tackle analysing his character properly, but I think it'd make my head hurt.

 **DaisyChain** : That's why I love hearing from you guys! I can give you more information regarding your questions or add a little more mystery into the story I'm trying to spin!

 **AuroraSeven** : Yes, indeed! What could go wrong… I'm sure Madi would agree to it. Uh huh. Absolutely.

 **Cosmo39** : The clown was so weird! But I really liked how they gave him a proper back story and it made me understand how so much more. I kind of wish they did more with him, but I guess he was a really good supporting character for Dandy who has a pretty face, but a more twisty mind than Twisty the Clown!

Thank you as well to everyone who has favourited and followed this story!

Please drop a review if you enjoyed the chapter! I really enjoy reading what you guys have to say. You don't know how much they all mean to me!


	5. Chapter 5

**CHAPTER FIVE**

I was patient. I was very patient. I danced and fell. I lived and died. I did everything he asked. I hovered between life and death just for that one chance to escape. It had to be perfect because I wasn't going to get another opportunity like this.

"Madison, come here!" Dandy sang, beckoning me over. I hesitantly walk towards me and put my hand into his extended ones. "You've been such a good assistant. I just want us to try one more act before we go see the real thing. I'm hoping to show them what we could do. They'll be so impressed with me!"

My heart raced when his lips spread into that ominous sinister smirk. "Wait, wha – " I stopped to let out a scream of agony when he thrust my hand beyond the curtains. "Stop! What are y – "

And then, I was pushed back, leaving me to stare at my limb in horror. It must've only been a minute, maybe less, but my skin was charred black and I could still feel it burn as if the sun was still on it. I had never been burned so minimally like this and I realised how much better it was just to off me on the spot. The excruciating pain was never-ending and when I tried to thrust myself into the sun,. he held me back, completely unfazed that one of his hands was clutching on to my black, blistered and oozing skin.

I let out a scream when he let go and pieces of me came off with him. Just the sight made me nauseated, let alone the pain that was still pulsing through my entire left side.

"Dandy! You're making such a mess!" I heard Gloria lightly admonish her son as if he had merely been finger painting on the walls. "Get cleaned up. Dora! _Dora!_ Clean Madison up or we'll never make it to the show!"

The maid briskly walked in and froze at the threshold where she stared at the useless appendage resting in my lap. My eyes were half hooded as I stared back. Everything was blurry and although I knew she was there, I couldn't form a coherent thought.

She swallowed hard before walking over and helped me up. We hobbled silently to the bathroom where I bent over the toilet and lost my last meal.

Dora held my hair back, stroking my back as I cried. "It'll be okay," she murmured.

I shook my head. "If… If I return tonight… Please, kill me. I can't keep living like this. I can't... I can't…"

Silently, she appeasingly nodded her head.

" _Promise me!_ "

"I promise. Now, calm down so I can help you with your arm." She rotated my shoulder to redirect the limb and carefully washed the wound. The lightest touch was enough for new tears to spring out and for the nausea to come back full force, but I bit my tongue to keep from crying out anymore.

I was going to lose my voice and then I wouldn't be able to get help or explain my situation or –

"There." The tight bandages gave slight relief as they seemed to completely cut off all form of circulation to my arm, but I could still feel the burn vibrating through every cell in my left arm. "And I don't ever want to see you again. Understand?" I nodded morosely at her and she gave me a small smile. "Good girl."

"Thank you for everything," I whispered.

She gently pulled me into a hug, careful not to make contact with my wound. "I don't care how weird you are. No one should ever be treated like this. Now, I have a new dress laid out for you on the bed. Thank goodness it's long sleeves. Go get ready before he leaves without you. He has the patience and temper of a two year old."

I squeezed her tight with my right arm and let go to give her one last "thank you." With that, I into the bedroom, threw on the dress, and raced out to stare at the sky where the streaks of sunlight could barely be seen. BY the time we got to the show, it was going to be pitch black and I'd be able to sneak off without being seen.

"Finally!" Dandy groaned, rolling his eyes. 'We can't have that when we start our own show. No one will come if the night act is always late!"

"Oh, Dandy, we'll get there with plenty of time to spare," Gloria tried to pacify her son. "Let's get going. I can't wait to see them!"

The car ride was full of monologues. I sat in the back trying to tune out the two separate conversations they were having with each other. I really couldn't tell who was more delusional. Dandy was boasting about himself and already expressing how any show would want him to be part of their troop. Gloria was gushing about the things she was going to see and how much Dandy was going to love it. She was always so positive. So much so that it was rather depressing whenever her son threw a tantrum regarding whatever gift she gave him. To even receive a gift…

What a spoiled brat.

"We're here!" Gloria happily announced, parking her car in front of a very familiar location. My eyes widened and I resisted the urge to dart away, but that would be bad and I had been good for too long to throw away this one opportunity. I just hoped that I wasn't going to see the demented clown or even the giant lady.

"Isn't this lovely, Dandy? It's so dirty and desolate here!"

Dandy was too busy looking around to reply. I had never seen him so engrossed with anything in his life. I was worried that at any moment, I was going to be recognised and thrown out. He was going to kill me a thousand times over if I ruined his chance to see this show.

Thankfully, I made it to the showing tent with no problem, but was less than thrilled to see that no one else was there. How was I going to get away if it's all barren fields? Dandy was going to catch me in a second!

I side stepped into the seat beside Dandy who, of course, wanted to be in the centre. He had already shifted several times from chair to chair, looking through his binoculars. This time was no different. "Mother, I want your seat," he announced.

Gloria scooted over, followed by Dandy who pulled me along with him. "Is that better, Dandy?"

"Of course." He nodded, looking through the lenses as if he couldn't actually see anything without them. "Watch carefully, this will be us, one day," he said to me.

I nodded, absentmindedly, turning my head back to the stage where several of them were scurrying around, getting ready for the beginning of the show.

From the corner of my eyes, I thought I saw a familiar face. As soon as I turned to the side, however, they had disappeared. I couldn't quite place who it was, but there was a nagging feeling at the bottom of my stomach. I didn't understand why it made me feel that way and I didn't have time to contemplate any longer when the scary lady announced the beginning of the show. Elsa Mars. She was the owner of Fräulein Elsa's Cabinet of Curiosities.

I watched patiently as act after act went by. I really wanted to say that I enjoyed it, but I really didn't. I didn't' like how the acts were just a side dish to gawking at the quirks each performer had. The show was mediocre and demeaning, but I knew that in this world, there really wasn't anywhere else they'd be able to work. This world wasn't accepting of anything they deemed abnormal.

Lost in thought, I didn't even realise that the show was already on to its last act. Elsa Mars stood in front of the microphone and began a low rendition of a mellow song. It was underwhelming, to say the least, but I could feel all the emotions in her voice. There was loss and pain and missed opportunities. She seemed to be enjoying herself and I didn't want to pop her bubble, especially since my first impression had been horrid, but I needed to make my escape.

I shifted my body and was about to bolt when a hand had my wrist in a death grip. "Don't even think about it," he hissed, his eyes still transfixed on the show.

My heart dropped. Was that it? Had I already blown it? I wasn't even given the second that I had anticipated for myself.

"Come on." He pulled me up and dragged me up the stage where the curtain had already closed and I missed the entire show lost in thought. "We're going to see someone."

"Hello, Mrs. Mott," Elsa drawled, spotting Gloria looking at everyone curiously. "I hope that show was to your liking and we'll see you here again, soon."

Gloria smiled pleasantly at her. "We more certainly will!"

Her son, however, was staring at the two headed woman – women? – who stared back at Dandy was fascination. At least, the right side did. The left side was glaring at us as if we were unwanted intruders.

"I want her mother!" he declared as if they were no more than mere items to be purchased at the shops. Normally, I would dwell longer on how ridiculous he was, but at the moment, I didn't even care. His hand had completely loosened around me and I was able to inch away without being noticed. Each step was a heart attack waiting to happen. The anticipation of being caught or finally regaining freedom was almost too much for me to handle.

My feet caught the edge of the tent and I quickly turned around and ran out as fast as I could. I needed to get away. I need to be away from him!

Faster and faster I pumped my legs until I lost focus and just one hesitation of my foot made me tumble over. I hit the ground hard, wincing when I damaged my burnt hand even further. I laid there as if I was dead. Maybe I was really dying, now. That was alright. That was fine. That was –

Arms wrapped around me to pull me up and my fear spiked to new heights. I tried desperately to get away, but when I opened my mouth, a hand clamped tightly over it and I was pushed into a small tent.

"Shut up!" I heard him growl, but even the aggressive nature of what he did couldn't stop the relief from almost overwhelming me. "Why are you here? The show tent was there! The public isn't allowed here!" He had turned me around and I watched as he yelled at me with fury in his eyes.

I couldn't believe that he was here. I couldn't believe that I was able to see him, again, but why was he looking at me like that? Did he forget about me already? Had I been so unmemorable?

I pushed the hurt away. That shouldn't been the least of my worries.

"I – I'm sorry. I just – " I clenched my eyes shut in pain when he shifted his grip to the bandages hidden beneath the sleeves.

He jerked the loose fabric up and quickly let go of me in shock when he noticed the patches of red and yellow fluid seeping through the gauze. I watched his angered eyes melt away and replaced by confusion, and perhaps even concern. "What happened?'

"Please, left me stay here until they're gone," I begged him. This was it. He had my life in his hands and I could only hope that what he decided to do would change my opinion of him.

"Mother, we lost her!" I heard Dandy yell in rage. "And we couldn't get the twins, either! I want them! I want them!"

The man turned back to me. "Stay here and be quiet."

I nodded fervently back with wide eyes, slowly crawling beneath the bed until the shadows hid me. Just in case they looked in here…

My heart was racing and I had to press my good hand against my mouth to keep from making any noise. Is aw the young man walk out and question the mother and son before finally telling them that this section was private and no one was allowed access.

I strained my ears to catch the rest of the conversation.

Dandy continued to make a scene until Elsa's voice interrupted the argument. She backed up what the man had told them and added that she would bring me to them if I was ever found.

I paled.

I needed to get out of here, too. This place wasn't safe once everyone was on the lookout for me. I needed to leave, now!

Ass I began to scoot out from the tight space, I heard the thick plastic of the tent entrance fly open. I turned and could only stare in horror as Elsa and the man were staring back at me.

"Oh, so you already have her in your bed," Elsa deadpanned, blowing out the smoke from her cigarette. "I'm guessing you already know that."

"I couldn't just let him take her," he protested. "He's been hurting her! No man should ever hurt a woman!"

"I'm glad your mama has taught you that, but we have no room for someone like her here. She's not going to fit in and we don't have the money to spare," Elsa told him, observing me with bored eyes.

"I'll work harder," he told her. "You know I make quite a bit of money with my side job. I can mange."

I couldn't believe what I was hearing. Ws this stranger really going to help someone like me? The sentiment touched me, but knowing what his side job was, I couldn't accept his offer. It didn't feel right. "It's fine. I'm already grateful that you haven't told them I was here. I can manage on my own."

Elsa's eyes raked over me as if trying to access exactly what I was worth. "What happened to your arm?" She gestured to the bandages.

I tucked it closer to my side. "It was burnt, but I'll be fine. As long as he doesn't find me, I'll be alright."

She rolled her eyes before turning to him, once more. "She'll be _your_ responsibility. If there is any trouble regarding her, I'll kick both of you out and nothing Ethel say would change my mind." Her accent became particularly thick as she finished. 'I don't have a tent for her, so she will have to bunk with one of you."

"She can stay here," he quickly offered.

Elsa shrugged and stepped out, leaving only a dispersing puff of smoke behind.

…

When he saw her first arrive with the mother and son duo, his heart had dropped. He was worried that her feelings were hurt after the cruel words that day. Judging by her appearance, je thought they had just taken her off the streets, but clearly he was mistaken.

Sitting in front of the stage, she was dressed beautifully with her hair clean and soft. He had been sure then that the joke was on him. She turned towards the stage and he quickly hid behind the curtain. He didn't want to be seen by her. He was suddenly feeling so nauseated that his pale pallor must've convinced Elsa that he wasn't' going to make it through his act without hurling.

She dismissed him with a wave of her hand and he went into his tent to hide. His thoughts were fixated on her and how wonderful she felt beneath his hands. The way she cried for him sent heat straight down between his legs and after an hour of being cooped up in his bed, he needed fresh air to cleanse his thoughts.

He didn't manage to get very far before a small body fell in front of his feet. Seeing her wispy brown hair, he felt all that heated passion and frustration turn to anger. Was she here to taunt him further? He wasn't sure how much longer he could withstand it before he lost himself.

And so, he instinctively wrapped his arms around her and pushed her into the tent. Every part of him screamed at him to throw her on to his bed and properly ravish her, but he managed to hold that part of him back long enough to turn her around.

She was staring at him with such fearful eyes that it did nothing but fuel his already raging anger. If a monster was what she saw him to be, then a monster she was going to get!

He let it all out – all the fury, lust, and frustration. He wasn't going to give her a chance to sway him with her pretty face and pretty words.

He adjusted his grip on her and that was when her face became a look of pure agony. In shock, he quickly let her go. His mama had taught him better than to hut a woman.

It wasn't until he heard them calling for her and seeing how desperately she stared at him did he realise that he wasn't the one she feared. There was someone else hurting her and he wasn't going to let it continue.

His protective side roared and he told her to hide before engaging the duo. It didn't take long for him to convince them that there was no one else here. He couldn't believe how whiny that man-child was, nor could he believe that minutes later, he would volunteer for her to stay in his most private quarters.

Having her so close all night long, it was going to be the death of him. He was simply going to self-destruct.

"T-thank you," her soft voice broke through his thoughts. "I'm Madison. Madison Harmon."

He nodded thoughtfully before realising that he had yet to introduce himself. "Jimmy Darling."

* * *

 _AUTHOR'S NOTE_

And heeeere's Jimmy! I'm so glad to have him in the story, again. I love writing about him, but I'm still trying to figure out what kind of character he is on the inside.

And **ThatOneGirlwiththeM** , I know you haven't been around lately, but I was suddenly spammed with notifications of half a dozen of your older reviews two days ago. It was so strange! I hope you're doing well!

Thank you **PorcelainPuppetLady, Bumblebee1013** , guests ( **anonymouscsifan, AuroraSeven, Laurel, Cosmo39, DaisyChain** ) for reviewing!

 **PorcelainPuppetLady** : I'm glad that you don't mind this story is taking its time! I don't mean to, but I tend to go on a tangent a lot and then, I'll need to find a way back to the canon plot…

 **Bumblebee1013** : In terms of Twisty, there is a reason, yet there isn't. I feel like there's no rhyme or reason to who he chooses. He kind of just wanders and take or kill whatever catches his fancy. There is also this innocence in him that fascinates me, but I'm not sure how or if I'll be able to convey that.

 **anonymouscsifan** : Season six overall was just… Urk… I'm hoping that somehow they'll come back to it with a crossover to add more substance into it. I'm kind of nervous about Murder House and Coven. Murder House will always be my favourite and I'm kind of afraid what they're going to do to it. I just hope they bring Tate back. A definite yes for Jessica Lange. I feel like her and Evan Peters are my absolute favourite in this show and it's just not the same when she's not there. Haha! Your rants often incite my own rants…

 **AuroraSeven** : I hope you liked this chapter! I finally have Jimmy back in and there will be a lot of him to come!

 **Laurel** : Thank youu! Not sure if this is the proper way to meet anyone, but at least Jimmy and Madi are together, again!

 **Cosco39** : Haha! Psycho 101… I need to use that somewhere… I feel like a lot of the characters I've written have taken that course. And let me just tell you, I did not feel bad at all when Dandy finally offed her. I wonder if she's just been waiting for it to happen because it was inevitable with the way she was raising him.

 **DaisyChain** : I think this chapter answers your question regarding Dandy seeing the show!

Thank you as well to everyone who has favourited and followed this story!

Please, drop a review if you enjoyed this story! I love reading what all of you have to say and it makes my day when I see that email notification!


	6. Chapter 6

**CHAPTER SIX**

Jimmy was definitely a very complex character. The first layer was nothing particularly likeable. The second layer was a little better. It involved a bit of anger and curiosity that frightened me, but when I looked a little deeper, there was someone admirable. He was overprotective of his friends and family. He was someone who would even help a stranger and lend his bed for someone in need.

He was someone who continued to surprise me and made me feel things I didn't quite understand. I didn't want to be alone on this bed. I wanted to feel him behind me holding me as he did in that bedroom and I wished that he could read my mind. It wasn't something I could just ask him. Actually, it'd probably be better that he didn't know what I was thinking. I had no doubt that he would kick me out of here and never want to see me again.

Dismissing the thought, I lamented for the fact that I was still alone with only the view of his curly-hair peeking from beneath the table. He had neither a pillow nor a blanket, so when I heard his deep even breaths turn into a soft snore, Id ragged the cover over and gently laid it on top of him.

He didn't even stir.

I knelt down and reached a hesitant hand to the soft fluff that fell in front of his face. If it weren't for his hands, he'd be the most beautiful man in the world. Perhaps… the man even enhanced that. It made him special.

I looked at the claw-like hands and felt a flush run down my body. Images of what he had done with them ran amok in my head.

I quickly backed away to pull myself back to reality. This wasn't how I should be behaving. I wasn't' a harlot that threw herself into anyone's arms, but something about him continued to pull me in and I was afraid of what would eventually become of me.

Hugging the well-used pillow close, I took in a deep breath and allowed his scent to lull me into a restless slumber. Even in sleep, I wasn't able to escape him.

…

The next morning, I was woken up by something hitting my face and fluttering down to cover the rest of my body.

"Get up or you'll miss breakfast," he grunted, running his hand through his mussed up curls.

I blinked at him before looking around to find that I was no longer in a room of luxury. Instead, I was trapped in a thin layer of plastic that was barely holding the sunlight back. "I… I'll skip breakfast. I think I'll sleep some more."

I laid my head back down and tugged the blanket up to my chin. I hoped that he wasn't' going to pursue the issue. I really wasn't in the mind of bursting into a ball of flames and burning his tent down. That would be a very poor way to show my gratitude.

He narrowed his eyes at me. "Your lost. I'll be eating your portion then."

I nodded back, burrowing my head beneath my shield as he threw the flap of his tent outward to step away.

To be honest, I was starving. Whereas one meal was enough to get me by a day or two back then, at the Mott's household, I had three meals a day to fill my belly. It was going to take some time getting used to that, again.

That was always better than the alternatives. It was too bright here with no houses and buildings blocking some of the sun and I couldn't risk anyone else know about my condition. Meeting Dandy only gave me confirmation that this was a secret I had to keep close to my chest.

After pacing for a while, trying to do anything to distract me from the panging hunger in my stomach, I slipped back into bed and bundled myself up. I clenched my eyes shut and for the umpteenth time, wondered what it would be like to be normal.

"Are you still pretending to sleep?" I heard. For a moment, the fear of Dandy coming back sent fear rushing through me, but when the scent of food waft over and a gloved hand came into view, I slowly sat up. "Here, I brought you whatever was left behind. Thought you'd be hungry by now."

I accepted the plate piled with food and stared hungrily. "Thank you. You didn't have to." I didn't pick up the spoon, nor did I put the plate down. I waited for him to leave, but he continued to stare at me. 'Really, Jimmy. I can't tell you how grateful I am for what you did. It's because of you that I was able to get away from him."

He finally averted his gaze, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly. "Don't mention it. Just don't do anything that gets me into trouble, yeah?"

I nodded. I wouldn't dream of it.

With that, he sat on the floor cross legged and fiddled around with a set of colourful balls as I slowly made my way through the food.

It wasn't anything special – scrambled eggs, bacon, and a piece of toast, but it tasted better than anything in the Mott household. Even though Dora was a wonderful cook, sitting with the other two made everything taste like ash in my mouth and I knew exactly what that tasted like.

When I was done, I sighed happily, placing the plate down. I hadn't seen his act last night, but he was juggling five in the air in a very impressive manner. I watched, almost mesmerised, as he flawlessly added the sixth one in one graceful motion.

"Your side job… do you enjoy it?"

He froze, the balls falling mutely down. "What do you mean?"

"Is it something you want to do or is someone forcing you to do it?" I asked. The words came out before I could stop them. The questions had been swimming in my head since that day. I couldn't help wondering if I had meant anything to him – if that encounter impacted him as much as it did for me. It seemed silly for me to take it so seriously if no one else thought anything of it.

"No one's forcing me to do nothin'," he grumbled, rolling the balls back towards me. "I do it 'cause we need it and I'm good at it."

Indeed he was, I flushed. "Do you ever enjoy it or is it – "

"Stop asking me!" he shouted. "Why does it matter? A job's a job."

He stormed off in a rage and I felt the guilt hit me. I never meant to make him uncomfortable. I just really wanted to know because he was never going to realise what he made me feel. He was never going to realise that he was my first and most likely last.

…

When the sun finally set, I took a step out to observe the surroundings properly. Most of the group had already turned into their tents and trailers.

"It's you." I Jumped and turned as if I had done something wrong. "Elsa told us we had a new addition, but I hadn't caught a glimpse of you all day. You're not a reporter snooping around, are you?"

I swallowed hard. "N-no," I squeaked at the towering woman who had her arms crossed. It was very reminiscent of our first meeting. "I'm not here for anything really. I just need somewhere safe to stay for a little while. I promise to not be any trouble."

Her stern expression melted away into a small smile. 'Good, because we're all very protective of our own. If you stay as you are now, I'm sure we'll get along fine. Come on, I'll give you a tour."

Relieved, I smiled back. Maybe this wasn't going to be so bad, after all. She took me around the tents, indicating which tent and trailer belonged to whom before showing me the essentials – bathroom, kitchen, first aid. They were all pretty close to each other and could easily be seen by the signs on top of the tents.

"So what did you say to Jimmy, today? Saw him come out looking angrier than I have seen him in a while. He's usually a pretty level headed guy," the woman who introduced herself as Amazon Eve – or just Eve – asked.

My fingers played with each other. It wasn't as painful moving my hand and arm, now, but the pain was small considering the disaster that was my life. "I may have asked something personal. I never meant to hurt him or anger him. I was just curious." No one knew of our previous encounter and I didn't intend for anyone to find out.

Accepting my reply, she gave me an advice. "We may be called the Cabinet of Curiosities, but I think it's best if you don't poke your head into things you don't understand. We will never hurt you if we don't have to, but our group has been together for a long time. We take care of our own and we're not afraid to defend ourselves."

"I know," I mumbled. Would anyone really ever feel the same about me? Jimmy had done me a favour yesterday, but was it a onetime deal? Was I ever going to find someone who would risk their life for me? Would I be able to do the same for them?

I didn't know.

All I knew was that there wasn't' anyone on this world who fit the description, right now, and I wasn't sure if there would ever be that special someone for me.

Before we departed, Eve gave me an encouraging smile and a pat on the back. I appreciated her company and help, but I was worried. Nothing was going to stop that. It was my most dominant state of being. With everything that had happened, letting my guard down was not an option. It wasn't a luxury that I could afford.

I returned back to the tent to see Jimmy speaking to a beautiful blonde with dark eyes and full red lips. He was smiling in a way that was foreign to me and even though there was a nervous fidget of his hands in her presence, he seemed more comfortable than I had ever seen him.

Without speaking, I walked by them and collapsed on to the bed.

Who was she? Did he like her? Did he _more_ than like her? Why was I even contemplating this? I was sounding like some obsessive girlfriend. He made it plenty clear that what happened between us was something merely part of his job. There wasn't any special there.

Obviously, it had nothing to do with me and it wasn't even my place to ask him. It was best for me to simply forget it all and start planning, again. I couldn't stay here forever. I didn't want to stay here forever. I had to start thinking of the future because as it was now, my future was looking pretty grim.

I wondered if Jimmy was willing to depart with his blanket if it meant having me out of his hair. Surely, it was a small price to pay. I'd have to figure everything else later.

"Hi."

I sat up and stared at the woman who was looking curiously back at me. Everything about her was beautiful. I hated the way it made me feel – completely inadequate.

"Hello," I mumbled, hugging my legs against my chest. I really didn't want to talk to her or anyone else, right now.

"Are you his girlfriend?" she bluntly blurted out, an eyebrow raised at me.

I shook my head. "Just a temporary freeloader." Very temporary, if I had anything to do about it. But since she asked, I was actually relieved to know that she wasn't romantically involved with him either, no matter how obviously infatuated he already was with her. "Am I in your way?" I was already on my feet, shuffling towards the opening. She said nothing as I brushed by, my hands clutching tightly to the blanket that draped over me from head to toe.

"Where are you going with my blanket?" I heard a grunt that made me stop.

I clutched on tighter to the fabric before pulling it away from my head. Turning to him, I saw his arms were crossed and a deep frown marring his face. "Sorry…" Reluctantly, I handed his property back to him.

He slowly accepted the raggedy thing, but the frown never left his face. "Madi – "

"I'll be out of your hair, now," I muttered, quickly turning and running off. My face felt as if it was on fire. I was such an idiot…

…

He watched her race away from him with her head down and eyes full of sadness. She confused him to no end, but he knew that that look didn't become of her and he wondered what had made her that way.

"Weird girl." Maggie was still half in and half out of his tent. He never invited her in and there was a pang of irritation that she had taken the liberty to do so. Had she been the reason why Madison had behaved so oddly?

"If you haven't noticed, we're all pretty weird here," he shot back.

She looked sheepishly back at him with a quirk of her lips. "That's true. Who is she, anyway?" she asked, staring at the darkness where the brunette had vanished.

He opened his mouth to reply, but even he wasn't sure. She was a time bomb of mystery and he wasn't sure if he wanted it to explode all over him, yet. _Yet…_

He swallowed hard as his pants grew just a little tighter as something else wanted to explode. She had such a momentous effect on him and it was frightening. "She… She's no one." But he knew that that wasn't true and the words felt hollow as he said them. The urge to wash his mouth of the bad aftertaste was immediate.

"What's wrong, Jimmy?" He looked at her concern face and the perfectly manicured fingers on his arm.

"Nothing," he grunted. "I'm tired. Going to bed. Welcome to our little group and I'll see you, tomorrow."

He liked Maggie well enough. She was a very pretty woman and didn't treat him different, but _she_ was stuck running around in his head and if he didn't find release for himself soon, he was going to have a very embarrassing accident.

"Alright, then…" She seemed a little put out, but he couldn't understand why. He had spent a good portion of his evening with her. "Have a good night."

"Yeah, you, too." He hurried into his tent and brought the blanket to his nose. It smelled like her. He fell on to his bed and buried his face into the pillow. Everything smelled like her. It felt as if she was slowly taking over.

It was no surprise that he couldn't sleep that night. There was just too much on his mind. It didn't help that he couldn't treat the problem between his legs. He didn't want her to catch him playing with himself when she came back. What would she think of him, then?

He cursed his predicament. Sure, he had a few dirty magazines to get him off sometimes, but with her, every little thought strained his pants and made him scatter brained. This really wasn't something he wanted to deal with.

His large hand grazed the tip of the head. Just a little while wouldn't hurt. He only needed to be aware of his surroundings and stop as soon as he hears her.

With that in mind, he threw his head back and let out a low groan of pleasure. This wasn't healthy for him, but if he didn't find release soon, he was going to spontaneously combust.

He didn't know how long he went on for, but when he next looked at his bedside clock, it was past the witching hour. It wouldn't be long before he had to start the day, again.

He slowly sat up to look around. Where was she? She had disappeared for several hours, now, and although it wasn't particularly cold, the woods weren't safe. There were a lot of wild animals that weren't averse to chomping down on her soft, silky flesh.

Blood shot downward, again, and he had to grit his teeth to keep from going another round. He had to find her.

Almost painfully, he got to his feet and shuffled out the tent, fixing his clothing and hair as well as he could. No one was out at this time. Where could she have gone? He hoped that she hadn't walked past the fence. It was the only thing keeping people and animals away.

He walked around, lost at home, until a tall figure stepped out .

"If you're looking for her, she's asleep," Eve told him, gesturing to her tent. He stopped in and took a peek.

She was curled to the side, hugging a pillow against her chest, her face half covered by the white fluff. She looked like a child in the large bed.

"Sorry 'bout that. I'll bring her back with me," he told her.

"It's no problem. She's tiny enough. She can stay unless you want her in _your_ bed." There was a knowing look on her face that made him avert his eyes.

He stood there for a full minute before trekking the rest of the way over and scooped her into his arms, careful not to make contact with her injured arm. She let out a soft whine before snuggling against his chest with a sigh.

As he walked away, he ignored Eve's chuckle.

What did she know, anyway?

"Mm…" She mumbled something incoherent.

He swallowed hard, looking down at her slumbering form and wondered what she was dreaming about – who she was dreaming about.

He quickly shook the thought away.

He was such an idiot…

* * *

 _AUTHOR'S NOTE_

Ah… If only they knew… I'm sure Eve is just having a merry time watching them struggle, right now.

Thank you **ThatOneGirlwiththeM, Bumblebee1013, Mystery Angle** , guests ( **anonymouscsifan, AuroraSeven, DaisyChain, Cosmo39** ) for reviewing!

 **ThatOneGirlwiththeM** : I'm going alright. Thank you! I'm glad to see you here, again! Here's some more Madi and Jimmy! Feel free to imagine you're in her place. Teehee! But I'm not sure this is a life you'll want to live…

 **Bumblebee1013** : I'm so happy to see them together, too! I can't wait to write more about them.

 **anonymouscsifan** : I really, really, really want Jessica Lange back‼ And I already have the reveal all planned out! I hope you don't kill me! I'd threaten to kill Madi off if you did, but… I don't think that'd be much of a threat here…

 **AuroraSeven** : And I'm so happy to be able to write them together, again!

 **DaisyChain** : Teehee… I really don't know what to call their group when I'm narrating… The troupe? The camp?

 **Mystery Angle** : Thanks for reviewing! I hope you liked this chapter!

 **Cosmo39** : Yeah, Dora was a strong and normal person living with two lunatics… Dandy is so fun to write, yet… I hate him so much!

Thank you as well to everyone who has favourited and followed this story!

Please, leave a review if you've enjoyed this chapter! It really makes my day!


	7. Chapter 7

**CHAPTER SEVEN**

When I woke up, I found myself on a familiar bed, but not where I had fallen asleep. The scent of breakfast made my stomach growl and my eyes lit up when I caught sight of the untouched plate on the table. There were still faint wisps of steam waving upward. He must've just placed it on there, but where had he gone?

I rubbed my eyes, recalling what happened the night before. It all seemed so silly, now. I knew that I had no right to be jealous or feel possessive, but I also couldn't' stop them from surfacing. When I saw him talking other with such ease, it left a bad taste in my mouth. The only thing I could do was remove myself from the situation and wished him the best because he had been nothing but kind to me. He deserved someone pretty like him; someone he could have a future with; someone who wasn't' at ticking time bomb and end up burning the entire place down any day.

If Eve hadn't caught me while I was leaving, I wondered where I would be now. Would I be huddled somewhere until the sun went down or would I be scattered in the wind?

I sighed, shaking the thought away and instead, opted to savour the food he had left for me. I really wanted to stay here. Those people were all so kind, but was I really safe here? I hadn't seen the clown around. Perhaps he wasn't from here, after all. Did he even exist?

"Taste good?"

I gasped, choked on the crispy bacon, and tried to cough the offending piece back up. I coughed and coughed, feeling tears well up in my eyes and my face burn from both the lack of oxygen and embarrassment.

Two arms wrapped around my waist and tried to help, but it wasn't until I downed an entire glass of water did my breathing calm and I fell limp against him in relief.

He took the glass from me, placing it on the table with a sigh. His other hand remained around my waist, the long digits rubbing a spot that I never knew could feel so sensitive. My face was still red, but for completely different reasons. I could feel every movement of his muscles against my back.

"Thanks…" I mumbled. I was glad he couldn't see my face.

"Yeah, don't mention it," he mumbled.

Neither of us made to move as I slowly finished the rest of my meal. I couldn't taste what I was eating. All I could focus on was the hand and the warm, hard body pressed against my own. This shouldn't be happening.

"Here, I'll take it back," he offered. "Do you want to go out and get to know the others? They all think I'm holding you in my tent against your will or somethin'." He slid off the bed and continued to stare at me, expectantly.

I didn't want to disappoint him or the others, but looking outside, I knew that I wouldn't' be able to stand a chance out there. It wasn't that I was being held against my will by _him_ , it was more like I was imposing myself in his home. I felt horrible for being such a useless lump here. He must've wanted some privacy.

"Maybe later. I'm… sensitive to the sun." That was a laughable understatement. "I'm sorry about last night. I never meant to be in the way or interrupt anything." I remembered that I had fallen asleep in Eve's tent, but how did I end up back here? What had happened, last night?

"What the Hell are you talking about?" He frowned as if I had spoken in a completely different language.

"Last night…" I trailed off, hoping it was enough to prompt him. "When the other lady was here? I didn't mean to be in the way. You could've just told me that you wanted some privacy and I would've – "

"What the _Hell_ are you talking about?" he repeated, looking even more confused than before and there was a certain frustration to his voice that made me stop. "Do you think I was just going to throw her on my bed and screw her?"

I flushed, my eyes wide.

"Unbelievable… I ain't some manwhore. I know what I do is fucked up, but it's… it's not who I am! Besides, pretty girl like her ain't want nothin' to do with me, anyhow." He looked at his hands loathingly before stuffing them into his pockets. "Go do whatever the Hell you do here while I'm gone. I don't care anymore." He left in a huff, leaving me to feel even worse before.

I never meant to anger him, but I wanted to know. I _needed_ to know. Having him admitting that she was pretty confirmed my diminishing ego. There was nothing I could do to ever live up to her. I had long accepted that there were people who were naturally born into a much more fortunate life.

As I bitterly sulked beneath the blanket, I didn't notice that someone had crept in. It wasn't until they walked in front of me did the shadow alert me of their presence.

"Who are you?" Her tone of voice was stern. She glared at me as if I had done her wrong.

The right one giggled, as knowing smile on her face. "What Dot meant was… Why are you in her crush's bed!"

"Shut up, Bette. I'm just looking out for our people. We can't let everyone stay here whenever they want. Isn't that why we left home - why we left the hospital? She's a normal person who doesn't understand us. Eventually, she'll betray us like all the rest of them!"

They both turned to me at the same time. Even though their mouths no longer moved, by the way their emotions shifted on their faces, it looked as if they were still conversing with each other. I shifted my eyes away.

Something about them made me very uncomfortable and it wasn't because they were conjoined twins. Even if they were two separate individuals, they would've still creep me out. I really didn't like the way Dot was glaring at me nor the way Bette had that weird smile on her face.

All I wanted was to be left alone.

When I burrowed myself back into the covers, they lost interest and walked away. I could still hear them arguing and teasing each other in the distance.

Judging by the way Dot was eyeing me with such distaste, I wondered if she actually cared about me being _normal_ or if she was just thinking of Jimmy. All the women here seemed to have a soft spot for him and from the way I was hearing them converse now, Jimmy was kind and open to everyone, except me. Was it really because they thought I was normal? Could I risk it again and expose myself to those strangers?

I shook my head.

Strangers.

I didn't know these people. A secret couldn't be untold once I revealed them. It didn't matter what anyone thought of me. They didn't matter.

It wasn't long after they left did I hear the commotion outside the tent. It was only Jimmy's angered shouts at first, but then cold chills ran down my spine when I realised who he was arguing with. Why was he here, again? What reason could he possibly return here for? Surely, he didn't think I was still around.

I strained my ears to try to hear what they were saying and although I could still see their shadows on the ground, their voices had quieted down. All I heard were the hisses of their voices, but nothing coherent.

All I could do in the tent was wait and hope that he wasn't going to find me. If Dandy found me, I had already planned to fling myself into the sun. At least then, I'd have a chance to return elsewhere. It would give me enough time to run or hide.

Luckily, I saw him storm away in the opposite direction. His shadow grew smaller and smaller, while Jimmy stomped into the tent with fire in his eyes. He looked ready to kill someone and I hoped that I wasn't going to be that someone.

"The fuckin' nerve of that rich brat. Who does he think he is?" he muttered, angrily. "Just because he has money, he thinks he can do whatever he wants."

"But you drove him away," I cut in. He looked startled to see me here as if he had forgotten I had taken refuge in his tent some night ago. "It means that he's scared of you." Dandy didn't seem to be scared of anyone, but if Jimmy managed to drive him away, then perhaps he wasn't as frightening as he once was. "What did he want?"

Jimmy rolled his eyes. "He thought he could join us. He thought we were really that desperate for his _talent_."

I shook my head, chortling with laughter. That sounded exactly like him. The only thing that surprised me was how quickly he had given up. I would've thought that he'd have to be dragged out to leave this place than to concede that he wasn't able to get what he wanted.

Jimmy smirked back, but the quirk fell and he let out a sigh, rubbing his face with the back of his hand. The wariness was evident in his eyes. "He also mentioned you. Still thinks I'm storing you away somewhere here."

"He's not wrong…" I mumbled, looking away. How long did I have before his persistence paid off?

"I'm not gonna let him get you," he firmly stated. His dark eyes were slightly narrowed with a determination that made my heart race. The way he was staring at me was reminiscent to that day and I had to bite my lips to keep quiet.

He, too, must've felt something because not a moment longer, he changed the subject. "Heard that ya spoke with the twins. Did they come in to introduce themselves?" Jimmy grunted, plopping down into the only chair around. The anger was still present on his face, but it was dissipating.

"They were in here," I told him, not elaborating that they hadn't exactly been here to be welcoming. He didn't need to know that. I didn't want to ruin his day further, nor did I want to ruin his relationship with his friends.

He didn't respond and I didn't bother continuing the conversation. We settled in silence until the sun set and he jumped to his feet, causing me to stare at him in shock. "Okay, that's it." Still staring at him with wide eyes, I allowed myself to be dragged out of my warm cocoon. "How long are you going to stay there? You're leaving an imprint in my mattress!"

I was pulled towards a bonfire where everyone was gathered. They were truly a sight to see, especially when they weren't limited by the confines of the show. They were animated and looked as if they were part of a tight knit family. I nearly turned on my heels to leave. In fact, I tried, but Jimmy tightened his grip around my upper arm until I was in front of everyone.

"Ooh! Looks like Jimmy's finally sharing his princess!" one of them snickered. He had short arms, but the rest of him was as normal as it came – handsome even. "Name's Paul." He grinned at me with a wink.

I shrank back, my face lighting up. NO one had tried coming on to me like that before. "Hi. I'm Madison."

Even stepped up next and took me around the circle to meet everyone. All the while, I couldn't ignore the glare he was sending in my general direction.

"That's Jimmy's mother, Ethel." Eve motioned to the bearded lady who was sitting alone by her trailer. She had a bottle in her hand and made no effort to join the rest of the group.

"And we have two other. One's from Hollywood." She gestured to a very average looking man. "That's Stanley and she's Maggie Esmeralda." The blonde gave me a small, almost sarcastic wave. She had a cigarette in her other hand and the smoke blew towards me. I crinkled my nose. Just another reason for me to dislike her. She smelled of death – my death. "She's a fortune teller."

I quickly reprimanded myself. There was really no reason for me to dislike her. I was just being petty.

Food was quickly thrust into my hands when we got to the only tables in sight. It was delicious as always and I smiled at Desiree in appreciation. She smirked back at me.

"Eat more! Guys like ladies with luscious curves!" She thrust her hip to the side and stuck a pose that made me smile. "Jimmy told us you're sensitive to the light and that's why you haven't come out to meet us?" she asked, gazing curiously at me.

"Or she just enjoys his bed a little too much," I heard someone mutter under their breath. No one else seemed to have heard, but I saw Maggie staring at me with narrowed eyes. She had started a new cigarette.

"I am," I told them. "I'm sorry I've been so rude. I never meant to ignore any of you. I've just been alone for so long and with my condition… it's a little difficult to catch you guys outside."

They all gave an understanding murmur and I was beyond glad that no one asked anymore personal questions. I was sure that if anyone, they would know what it felt like to have something they didn't want to talk about.

As I sat between Eve and Desiree, I couldn't stop my gaze from moving back to Jimmy and Maggie every once in a while. They were sitting close to each other and Maggie was laughing at something he had said. From the way his body and face were completely relaxed, I knew that he, too, was having a good time. Was that what he was like with everyone else?

"He's really smitten with her, isn't he?" Desiree grumbled. "Of course, it'd be a blonde, but let me tell you this, I don't trust her or that man she came with. Something's off about them and I know my instincts are always right."

Dell, overhearing her, snorted.

Desiree hit him. "Don't look at me like that. Call it a woman's intuition or the powers of my third boob, but watch… you'll see what I mean."

"Yeah… Yeah…" he grunted.

I tilted my head. Something about his mannerism seemed familiar, but I couldn't quite place it.

"Don't you guys have a show, tonight?" I asked, looking around, wondering why no visitors were here.

"There's been a curfew," Eve told me. "Elsa hates it, but she refuses to do day shows. I'd suspect that the show for the Motts will be the last for a while. There's some serial killer on the loose and one wants to be out at night."

It couldn't be, could it? "Is it a clown?"

They raised their eyebrows at me. "No idea, but why do you ask?" Eve rotated her shoulders, settling more comfortably on the log.

"Nothing… I just thought…" If it was the clown, why had he let me go? There had to be more to it than that.

"We're practising one more time tomorrow night before Hallowe'en. Do you want to watch?"

I nodded eagerly. 'If you don't mind." I got up and stretched. It was getting late, probably nearing dawn. I had to get back before the sun caught up with me. "I'll see you, tomorrow?"

They both smiled.

I walked off towards Jimmy's tent, feeling much happier than I had in a very long time, but that moment was fleeting. It came and went so quickly that I wondered if it had ever been there to begin with.

My heart was pounding in my chest as I sidestepped behind a large banner. I peeked back out to see the very distinct silhouettes of Jimmy and Maggie in the tent.

Calm down… Calm down…

It didn't mean that they were doing anything weird in there. I was jumping into conclusions, but one thing I was sure of, Jimmy was indeed smitten with Maggie. Anyone and everyone could see that. It was best if I turned around now and let them have their privacy.

I ran back to the bonfire where only smoke remained in the centre. Eve was about to leave when I caught her.

She immediately offered me a place to stay and I thanked her profusely. I owed her one… or a dozen. Bottom line was, I owed her a lot for always helping me.

"You know, if you like – "

"I don't." I stubbornly denied it. "I really don't."

She merely smiled back knowingly at me.

…

He stared at her for the longest time. Her features were sharp and her dark, keen eyes seemed to pierce through him. Their conversation by the fire had been pleasant. He was relaxed and the clear night sky seemed to reflect what he was currently feeling, but whenever he looked across the fire, he could were the image of her conversing happily with Eve and Desiree. He hated how they had snatched her away from him.

His eyes narrowed.

He had never seen her like that before and he wondered if she really thought him to be so detestable. Did she hate his hands as much as he did? Sometimes, he wanted to rip them off his wrists. The sight of no hands would be better than those disgusting claws.

But the way she cried out when he touched her still left him puzzled. Her eyes had been closed. Could she have been imagining someone else's hands on her body? The very thought made his blood boil.

"Jimmy? Is something wrong?" A pale hand touched his arm and he blinked in surprise when he noticed that they were in his tent. He hadn't meant to bring her here. To be honest, he was so lost in thought that he neither realised that he had moved away from the fire nor that someone had followed him.

"I'm fine, Maggie." He smiled.

The two of them were so different from each other. Madison's face was as soft as he remembered her body to be. He blinked away the growing sensation in his groin and wondered how he was going to get Maggie out before Madison came back. The brunette seemed to have some weird misconception that he liked Maggie. She wasn't exactly wrong, but the feeling was purely platonic. Perhaps it never occurred to her that she was the one who made his head spin and for his heart to race with fear.

He swallowed, staring at the dark eyes in front of him. She was certainly beautiful – one fo the most beautiful woman he had ever laid his eyes upon.

Could she be the solution to his problem?

"Do you want to go hang out tomorrow night?" he asked.

She smirked. "What? Just the two of us?"

He shifted his gaze. He was nervous. Never had he asked a woman out before, mainly because he had nothing to offer them. "Yeah. Just us. I thought we could get to know each other better and maybe, I can show you around here."

Her blood red lips stretched a little wider. "Sounds like an adventure."

There. He was going to get himself all sorted out after tomorrow. All he needed to do was tell Elsa that he wasn't going to be practising tomorrow. It wasn't as if anyone was even going to come until the curfew was up. And he doubt that she was even going to miss him. He knew that they were all mere side acts for her main performance.

"Right, an adventure." He nodded, wondering if it was alright to ask her to leave, now. He didn't want to go hunting for Madison, again.

* * *

 _AUTHOR'S NOTE_

Just a teasing bit of what's to come. This chapter probably has foreshadowing for three or four events that will be in the next few chapters I've planned. Can you guess what they are?

And something completely off tangent… Do any of you guys watch EuroVision? What did you think of this year's winner? I was really rooting for Bulgaria, myself…

Anyway!

Thank you **HerOverYonder, Bumblebee1013, Applejax XD, MateriaGirl16** , guests ( **anonymouscsifan, Cosmo39, DaisyChain, AuroraSeven** ) for reviewing!

 **HerOverYonder** : Okay… That gave me pause… I thought I was losing my mind when I saw your name. Just out of curiosity, what made you decide to change it? Aside from that, I never liked Maggie either! I really can't wait to write her off!

 **Bumblebee1013** : Here's the next chapter! I hope you liked it!

 **Applejax XD** : Eve is such a joy to write! And now there's the awkward interaction between the two…

 **anonymouscsifan** : I completely agree! Maggie seemed so selfish in the show and doesn't seem to really care that much that what she's doing is wrong as long as she is benefitting from it. I feel as if Jimmy was a passing fancy for her and she would eventually. And yeah… they'll realise their feelings… soon…

 **Cosmo39** : Jimmy angst is great! I love writing evil characters! You're getting me so hyped up with Hotel. I want to watch it, now, but if I do, I'm going to lose track of Freak Show… So it's probably going to be another 15 or so weeks before I can even think about watching it, depending on how many chapters this story is going to end up having.

 **DaisyChain** : Ah… Meeting the parents… I don't even want to think about it… To be honest, I can't remember who's in a tent and who's in a trailer, buuuuut I hope you don't mind!

 **MateriaGirl16** : Thank you so much‼ I'm so glad you've been enjoying this series! Give me a whack if I ever write any of them out of character!

 **AuroraSeven** : Teehee! More Jimmy and Madi interactions to come! If Jimmy hasn't messed anything up, of course…

Thank you as well to everyone who has favourited and followed this story!

Please, drop a review if you enjoyed this chapter! It'll really make my day!


	8. Chapter 8

**Warning _:_** **There will most likely be no more individual chapter warnings in the future. The entire series is just one big warning, to be honest... I'm sure most of you are aware and even expect that, now.  
**

 **CHAPTER EIGHT**

When I woke up the next morning, I felt nice and warm. It was a feeling completely foreign to me, but I wiggled closer. It reciprocated the movement. I revelled in the bliss for a full minute before realising that something strange had happened.

My eyes snapped open and they quickly assessed the surroundings. An old, cotton shirt was moving rhythmically in front of me. There was a faint contour of the well-toned body that remained hidden by the thin fabric. "J-Jimmy…?"

His eyes remained closed and his hair had fallen to cover one eye. He was still in his street clothes as if he had merely collapsed into bed and fell straight asleep. Either he had forgotten that I was there or he had gotten fed up with sleeping on the floor.

But why had he brought me back, again?

"Jimmy?" I tried again, wiggling a bit more to try to get my arms free. One was trapped between our bodies and the injured one was clasped lightly in his hand. The awkward angle had caused numbness to spread to my arms. I managed to slip that one away and repositioned it on top of him.

I sighed when he continued to lightly snore. What was I going to do, now?

…

I next woke up to see him gone, but the bed was still warm where he had slept. He was so confusing. One moment, he was holding me close and the next, he'd push me as far away as he could. It was enough to make my head spin.

For the rest of the day, I hadn't caught a glimpse of him. I hadn't felt this lonely for a while now. How could a stranger I had known but a few days leave such an impact on me?

As more and more time passed, I couldn't keep wondering where he had gone. By now, he would've come in at least twice, fiddling with his possessions and accomplishing absolutely nothing. Sometimes, I'd pretend to sleep with slitted eyes so that I could comfortably watch him without being noticed. Other times, I'd shamelessly gawk at his form until he leaves without a word. I wondered if that was why he didn't like me. I guess it could be a pretty creepy tendency.

When night fell and his presence was still absent, I slinked out of the tent and began to walk around. I spoke with a few people: Paul, Eve, Desiree, and I even played a short game of hide and seek with Pepper, but no one seemed to know where he went. In my quest, I had also bumped into Stanley who told me that Maggie was also missing.

My heart dropped. He must've taken her somewhere to have privacy from me. I didn't blame him. Since I arrived, I knew that he didn't have anywhere to go for alone time.

I only managed to pace several times around the tents in a futile effort to find him before stepping into the woods. I wished that I could just magic him out of my head. Maybe one day…

The trees grew thicker and thicker around me and I could barely see the stringed lights past the thick branches, but I kept going.

Even if I didn't find him, I could at least find my own me-place, too. Maybe a little cave where the sun wouldn't catch me unaware.

As I continued to wonder, a chill suddenly ran down my spine. It felt as if someone was watching me, but no matter where I looked, I couldn't see anything out of place. In font, it was difficult to see very far around me, at all. The moonlight was easily shadowed by the looming trees that seemed to extend on forever.

"…Help!" I heard a muffled cry to the left and froze. I wanted nothing to do with what was going on there, but I couldn't just leave them. Biting my lips in contemplation, I eventually decided to go back to camp where I could get help. In peek condition, there was no way I could be of use to anyone, let alone with an injured hand and arm. I could only hope that they'd still be alive when I came back with more people.

I turned on my heels and only managed half a step before hitting a body. The blood stained costume was rough and crusty and the stench was putrid. When I looked up, I let out a horrified scream. He was even more terrifying up close.

Swiftly, I tried to get away, but his larger body lunged towards me, pinning me to the ground. I reached around, hoping for something – anything – to help me. Only small twigs met my hands, but that was better than nothing.

I jabbed the stick blindly behind me, until I heard a yelp of pain and I managed to buckle him off.

I ran as fast as I could through the woods. Direction no longer mattered. I just knew that I had to get away. Past hundreds of trees, I took a peek over my shoulder and couldn't see him anymore.

Breathing heavily, thoughts continued to race through my head even when my feet stopped. I had to catch my breath before I could go any further. These parts of the woods looked completely unfamiliar. I had no idea where I was or how I was going to get back.

Why did I ever think that walking alone in the woods was ever a good idea? Did anyone even know that I was missing? Had Jimmy returned, yet? Why did I think finding him was more important than my own safety? Mother would be yelling at me if she was still here.

I walked slowly onward until something caught my eyes. A light pepped through the thickets. As I neared the source, more appeared, creating a pattern that I had come to know. I was so close! All I needed to do was go through the fences and I'd be safe.

Suddenly, an arm grabbed me from behind. A hand muffled my started shriek and began to drag me backwards. I tried everything. I dug my heels in the Earth. I flailed around. I made my body as heavy as possible, but nothing worked.

The demented clown dragged me towards a small campsite with a single car trailer.

He dumped me against the vehicle and quickly tied my wrists and ankles in smooth practiced motions. I grimaced and cried when the rope dug into the bandages. Once I was completely defenceless, he crouched in front of me, tilting his head to the side.

"What do you want from me?" He had more than enough chances to abduct me before, but why now? What changed?

"Oh, you brought her here. Good." The voice sent icy chills down my body.

I turned my head to see Dandy grinning widely at me. He had a ridiculous clown costume on as if he was imitating the one in front of me.

"And now, the show can finally begin!" he announced.

I looked slightly beyond him and saw two familiar figures in a similar position. Maggie was huddled closed to Jimmy who stared at me with horrified eyes.

"Alright, why don't we start the first act?" Dandy grabbed Maggie who shouted and screamed at him, but I knew that it was useless. Dandy was packed beneath the terrible ruffles. "You can be my assistant." She was thrown into a box – an ordinary wooden box.

"Let her go!" Jimmy struggled fruitlessly against his bindings.

I stared with wide eyes when Dandy brought out a very sharp and jagged blade. 'Wait! Stop! D-don't' you want a better introduction first? You can't just start the act like that! No one even knows your name, yet!"

His eyes snapped to me, but he stopped and looked thoughtfully to the side. "I guess you're right. This is no way to start my magnificent performance. I need them to all know who I am!"

I let out a breath when he continued to mutter to himself. Maggie fell limp in relief. No matter how much I disliked her for personal reasons, I didn't want her dead. I didn't want that image seared into my mind.

I looked back to Jimmy who only had eyes for her. The tug of jealousy continued to nag at me, but this wasn't the time. I had to push away all my stupidity. This was Dandy. I didn't put it past him to actually kill us for his own enjoyment. It wasn't as if I hadn't already experienced it firsthand.

My gaze shifted back to Dandy who looked as if he had finally found something that satisfied him. What was I going to do, now? As I pondered, I saw a strange green mist lick at my shoes and up my leg. It was cold and left an unpleasant tingle on my skin. The mist grew until most of the surrounding was covered in its eerie glow. I watched, mystified as a darkly clad figure stepped out. He was dressed very elegantly in a suit and top hat. He seemed to be completely oblivious to the situation as he walked towards us with a calm expression on his face.

"Hello." His voice was low and pleasant. I found myself oddly captivated by him.

"It's the spirit… Someone must've gone against the rule," Jimmy mumbled. "They say he's here to take someone with him if anyone summons him by performing on Hallowe'en. I bet Elsa couldn't resist someone watching her."

I looked uncertainly at the man who barely spared me a glance and went straight towards Maggie. It seemed that Dandy had mysteriously vanished, but I was sure that he had coward away. At the face of danger, he usually had his mother to cover for him. Not this time and he wasn't about to fight for his half-baked "performance."

"No!" Jimmy struggled violently against the ropes. I could see angry red marks looking raw and painful on his wrists, but he didn't even stop to give it a thought. "No! Take me instead!"

My eyes widened as I stared at him in shock. "Jimmy!" I hissed. Was he really going to risk his life for her? Had she become so important to him that he'd rather die?

I bit my lips, watching his desperate eyes fixated on the woman who was trapped in the wooden box. She was looking pleadingly back at him.

From behind the stranger, I could see a deformed face on the other side of his head and I paled when it sneered at me.

"My name is Edward Mordrake. Why don't you tell me your story?" he asked Maggie who shook her head in fear.

" _Look at me!_ " Jimmy had somehow managed to loosen the knot enough for his hands to slip through and was quickly untying his ankles. He raced towards the two-faced man and grabbed his shoulder. "You're not taking her away! She doesn't deserve to die! She's young and beautiful and deserve to have a happy and long life. Take me instead!"

"No, Jimmy…" Maggie looked at him with teary eyes.

My chest hurt. It was a deep ache that was even more painful than anything I had ever felt before. I didn't understand how seeing the two of them like this was affecting me so much. It didn't make any sense.

Mordrake turned to him and tilted his head. "Let me hear your story then and I will see if you will satisfy our hunger."

"My story…" Jimmy gulped. I could tell that he was nervous – that he didn't really want to die. "I…"

"What about me?" I asked the spirit. "You can take me, instead. I'll tell you my story. If you want a painful tale, I can give it to you. Anything you want. Don't take Jimmy. He… He has to live on and be happy." Even if it wasn't with me.

Mordrake looked at me with pity. "I can feel that pain, but you will not give us satisfaction. We cannot take you with us."

Was this really the second time a murderer decided that I wasn't good enough to kill? This was madness. "Please…" The need to save Jimmy was suddenly overshadowed by the overwhelming desire to find my own peace."I'm tired. I don't want to do this anymore." I hated this life. I hated how I wasn't truly living, yet death was a fleeting thought that came and went.

He didn't reply, but his eyes slid over to the clown by the fire pit. Something lit up in his cold blue eyes and he gracefully glided towards him, everyone else forgotten.

"You…" Mordrake drew in a deep breath as if he was taking in the scent of a delicious morsel.

The clown spoke no words, but as silence fell within the circle, I could see his face was a tragic tale of emotions and the spirit was drinking it all up.

Mordrake smiled and suddenly, I felt warm splatters on my left cheek. It took me a moment to realise that he had stabbed the clown with a dagger and the body fell heavily to the side.

"Wait!" I called out when Mordrake began to leave. "Why won't you take me with you? Please, I can't live this life anymore."

"It's not mine to take," he simply stated and disappeared back into the green mist that quickly dissipated at his departure.

I hit the back of my head against the trailer.

 _Why? Why? Why?_

I watched Jimmy free Maggie and held her close in his arms.

I wished that I had never known him.

…

He quickly opened up the wooden box and pulled her out. She fell into his arms in a fit of sobs. He hated seeing women cry. It just wasn't right, so he held her tight until her breathing calmed and she was able to stand on her own.

Even though he didn't want to die, he was willing to give up his life if it meant saving someone else. Leaving the people he loved behind would be difficult, but it was the right thing to do. And the words had come out of his lips before he could even stop them and then the horror of Madison nearly echoing her words for him. He wasn't going to let her do that to her life, but when she begged the spirit to end her life, he couldn't understand why. It was so baffling that he wasn't able to say anything to tell her that she was being stupid. She had so, so much to live for. He was going to have to show her when they returned home.

Turning to look at her now, he saw her glassy eyes on him. There was nothing showing on her face and it was eerie with the blood covering half her features. When he looked deeper into those stormy grey eyes, he saw the underlying sadness and pain and when he noted how her gazed flickered to his hands, he quickly let go of Maggie.

His heart was racing as if he had done something wrong and when he looked back at her, she was no longer looking at him. Her eyes were closed. Those long, dark lashes laid slightly curled against her cheeks.

She was beautiful.

The sun peeking through the trees shone like fire in her hair. They caressed her skin and –

Her eyes popped open and she let out the most bone-chilling scream he had ever heard. It felt as if his entire being was being torn apart. It hurt hearing how much she was hurting and when he tried to run towards her, a pair of arms held him back.

"Jimmy, don't!" Maggie cried. "You'll get hurt!"

The blistering skin was red and raw and then, they began to turn black as her entire body was set on fire. Flakes of her blew away into the wind – away from him.

"Madison!" he screamed, wrenching himself away from the blonde. "Madison! MADI!"

The last thing he saw were her eyes on him before they fluttered close and she was gone. All that was left was the dark scorch mark in the dead grass and the side of the trailer.

"Jimmy! Jimmy, it's okay." He could barely feel her holding him as she cried into his shoulder. He felt as if something had just been ripped out of his chest.

His feet robotically carried him out of the woods and although his mother scolded him for disappearing all night, nothing registered. The police came and went. They called him a hero. They showered him with praise. They told him everything that he had been longing to hear since he came here with his mother, but none of that even brought an ounce of happiness.

That night, he went through the acts to perform for the crowd that had congregated to see him – the show that Elsa ultimately placed herself as the main performance and whereupon everyone left in frustration as they usually did.

Another day had passed when Eve invited him to a talk. It was that night that he finally broke down.

* * *

 _AUTHOR'S NOTE_

Sorry! The cute bits ended quick. Please, don't hate me!

Thank you **PorcelainPuppetLady, HerOverYonder, Applejax XD, Mystery Angle, Bumblebee1013** , guests ( **anonymouscsifan, Cosmo39, DaisyChain, AuroraSeven** ) for reviewing!

 **PorcelainPuppetLady** : Oooh, congratz, then‼ And you _should_ be nervous about Hallowe'en. Was this how you expected Jimmy to discover Madi's secret?

 **HerOverYonder** : This one is also slightly easier for me to type! I think Madi and Jimmy are really going to struggle with this one…

 **Applejax XD** : Of course, she's going to make friends with them! Most of them are such great people! I think Jimmy has kind of figured out where she runs off to, now, and although he's afraid… He's not going to let her go… Well… Unless it's out of his hands, then he just has no choice.

 **anonymouscsifan** : Ah… Mordrake… Not much to say to Madi quite yet, but don't worry! He'll return! I'm always sad when interesting characters only have one or two episodes… Oops! Well… Jimmy has a tent, now… Because what I say goes and it's a little for me to turn back… Mainly the latter…

 **Mystery Angle** : Thank you! I guess… They've discovered it… Right now! Perfect timing!

 **Cosmo39** : I haaaaaaaaaated Maggie so much… This isn't the last of Mordrake! I know I didn't incorporate him as much as I liked with Madi, but there's definitely a reason for that! And… I'm not sure if that will be revealed here or in _V_ _._

 **Bumblebee1013** : Dramaaaaa!

 **DaisyChain** : Thank youuu! Glad that I wasn't the only one who forgot… I may or may not have been too busy staring at Jimmy…

 **AuroraSeven** : I don't trust him not to Jimmy up either… I know he doesn't intentionally do it, but… It just naturally happens.

Thank you as well to everyone who has followed and favourite this story!

Please, leave a review if you enjoyed this chapter!


	9. Chapter 9

**CHAPTER NINE**

"What happened, Jimmy?" Eve whispered.

They were in her trailer and although he didn't want to talk about it, it was waiting to burst out of him. The words came out jumbled, barely making any sense, but once he started, he couldn't stop. "If I'd known… I could've saved her. She wouldn't have died… She _shouldn't_ have died!"

She sighed. "You didn't know. None of us did." If it was her, she didn't think she'd tell anyone either, especially people she hadn't known for a long time. It could be a devastating weapon for anyone who intended her harm. "Don't blame yourself."

But he did. He blamed himself for both her death and for never telling her how he felt. "I loved her, Eve." His voice began to tremble and the tears finally fell. They streamed down his face and he viciously wiped them away with his clawed fingers, but they kept coming.

Eve could do nothing, but be moral support for him. As short as she'd known Madison, the tiny brunette was a good friend of hers. And as much as it pained her knowing she was dead. It pained her even more seeing Jimmy like this.

…

They were wrong when they said venting would make him feel better. Jimmy felt sick. He was nauseated to the point where his head hurt. He stayed in bed for days while his mother scolded him, but he couldn't bring himself to leave. This was where he could still hold on to her. Her scent had soaked into the pillow, the blanket, the mattress, and he hoped that somehow, it would all seep into him, eventually.

Maggie had also come in a few times, but she didn't understand. He didn't want to talk to her. No one understood what losing Madison meant to him, not even himself. Seeing Meep dead was devastating, but not life-crippling. Madison had somehow left this hole in him that he didn't know how to fix.

It was a constant reminder of that day when he had to watch her die. He never realised how the sun could truly affect her. Many times before, he had found himself rolling his eyes whenever she refused to leave the tent. He had even made fun of her in front of Maggie. He had treated her delicate nature like it was a joke. What must she have thought of him? He prided himself in helping others, but in the end, he was useless. He couldn't protect anyone.

His mind went back to the burn on her arm and hand. That rich brat must've known and that was why she ran. He wished that she trusted him enough to tell him about her condition. He wished that he had done more to earn that trust.

When he closed his eyes, he could still remember the feeling of her soft body writhing and arching beneath him. Her quiet moans and cries were what made him come undone. He had never lost himself like that. It had always been a job and he never found himself enjoying any of it.

He buried his face into the pillow and groaned as he ground his pelvis against the lumpy mattress.

He should've told her. He should've done something to make her realise what she did to him – what she made him feel. If she knew how much he stared at her, he was afraid that she'd run away screaming. All those times when someone else caught her attention, he wanted to snatch her right back and send her back into his tent where he could bury himself inside her.

Instead, his last memory was of her dying. He was never going to have a chance to ever speak to her, watch her, touch her, hold her, again.

It wasn't fair. It just wasn't fair when he had finally found someone who made him feel this way. Why had he ran from it? Why had it made him so scared? Had it been the fear of losing her because he knew that someday, someone like her would never be with someone like him?

He stomped into the woods where he had lost her and screamed. He tugged violently at his hair, wishing that he could pull away all the pain with it, but he knew that there could never be a remedy for this.

"Jimmy…" a soft voice interrupted him. He didn't want to turn around. He didn't want to face them. "Jimmy, please. Come back. It feels like we're losing you."

"I know it's hard losing someone, but she was never happy," her sister joined in. "Maybe this is better for her."

"She just never had a chance to be happy!" he retorted. She was always so sad – so alone. He remembered how she begged the spirit to take her away, but what did that mean? Did she know that the sun was going to kill her? Did she just want a faster, less painful, way to die? Or had it been something more?

His mind began to race as he tried to make sense of her, but he couldn't understand any of it. He didn't know her enough to figure it out.

"Please, come back. We can help you," Bette airily offered. "Everyone is so very worried."

He sighed. That wasn't what he wanted. This was his problem. He was going to have to live with this for the rest of his life, but that didn't mean that everyone else would have to, too. "Alright," he conceded.

He turned to see Bette and Dot smiling softly back at him. Relief was clear in their eyes. He was going to go back. He was going to go back and think on it some more. There was something he was missing.

When he arrived back at camp, he had seen them all look up with sympathy in their eyes. Their gazes was only a minute too long and he wanted to shout at them to stop looking at him. He didn't need their pity! They didn't even know the despair and helplessness he was feeling.

He had only just recently caused Meep's death and the guilt still laid heavy on his shoulder. And now, Madison was dead and it was all his fault. Was that going to be his life, now? He was going to end up killing everyone he cared about?

"Stop being an idiot, Jimmy," his mother scolded him. "She was only a girl. There will be more. Besides, you've only just known her. What about that other one? The fortune teller? You two have been getting along well. Why don't you go talk to her?"

She didn't know anything! Madison hadn't just been any girl. Something in him told him that she was his. She had been a part of him. It wasn't something he expected anyone to comprehend.

Feeling no energy to argue, he left his mother with the promise that he was going to speak with Maggie. And he intended to do that, but it wasn't until the next morning did he see her. She was surprised when he appeared. He knew that he hadn't been particularly pleasant since what happened and it wasn't her fault. She didn't deserve being dismissed like that.

"Something I can help you with?" She raised a perfectly arched eyebrow at him.

He fought the urge to wince. "I just… wanted to apologise. I never meant to ignore you like that. You've been very kind to me."

"Your mother put you up to that, didn't she?" Nonetheless, her eyes softened. She opened her mouth, but closed it again when an indecisive look passed through her face. "It's alright, Jimmy. I don't know what she meant to you, but I know that if it was me, I'd want you to be happy and start moving on. It's not healthy to isolate yourself like that. Everyone's so worried about you. _I've_ been so worried.." She took a step forward to touch his hand. "Why don't we go for a walk? We can talk about whatever is on your mind. It'll make you feel better. Trust me, I can see the future." She smirked.

He found himself agreeing, despite knowing that her "fortune telling" powers were nothing but a gimmick. It was a gorgeous day. The sun was shining so brightly with not a cloud in sight, but seeing the wretched thing brought a horrible, sinking feeling at the pit of his stomach. The sun was so beautiful. It didn't even realise that it had murdered an innocent woman.

"Jimmy, don't start doing that, again," Maggie lightly scolded when he became lost in thought.

He mumbled an apology and let his mouth do the work. The words flowed out easily as he spoke about her. He told Maggie everything he knew about Madison and how much she frustrated him. He told her about the theory – or lack thereof – regarding why she requested the spirit to take her when she seemed to know what the sun was going to do when it came up… Or did she?

He knew she had been badly burnt when she arrived and the way she ran from the overgrown brat, he realised that Dandy must've already figured it out. Was that why she never told him? Was Dandy someone she trusted before he found out and betrayed her?

A scowl appeared on his face at the thought of the other man being close to her.

"She sounds like a … great person," Maggie commented, an odd look on her face as she averted her eyes whenever she spoke about the other woman. "I'm sorry she's gone, now. I'm sorry you'll never find out more about her, but you have to remember that you're not alone. Live for the living."

He sighed, rubbing his eyes as they began to burn from fatigue. "I know. I know." He knew. Of course, he did. He only had everyone tell him this. Unfortunately, his heart didn't agree with his mind. It continued to hurt whenever he thought of her and that was every second of every day since she'd been gone. It wasn't for the lack of trying, but it was as if her dying had only managed to secure a more permanent spot within him.

His nose crinkled when he caught the first whiff of smoke. The offending scent made him nauseated and when he saw the grey fumes, he couldn't stop himself from snatching up the cigarette.

"Hey!" Maggie cried in irritation. "Give that back! What's wrong with you?"

"Can you please… not smoke in front of me?" He had quickly stomped out the white stick.

"If this is about her, it's unfair to me if I have to change my lifestyle because of a little dead girl," she hissed before realising what she had just said, but it was already too late.

His face darkened and his lips became a thin line. If that was what she thought of Madison, then he had been wrong about Maggie. She didn't want to listen to him about her because she had already made up her mind. He felt that any further conversation at this point would be like talking to a brick wall. Maggie didn't want to understand. She was like everyone else.

"Wait, Jimmy! I'm sorry! I didn't mean!" she shouted after him as he turned on his heels and headed back to camp. "Jimmy!"

Her heels clacked loudly, quick and frantic. And then, there was a sudden cry of pain and he instinctively turned around to check if she was alright.

Maggie was on her knees, inspecting her scraped hands. He wanted to leave her there. It was only a fraction – an insignificant portion – of the pain Madison felt. Unlike his "little dead girl," Maggie was going to continue living. She still had a chance to live out a happy life.

Despite all this, he walked towards her fallen form and helped her back to her feet. Just because she had bad mouthed someone important to him didn't mean that he was going to stoop down to her level. He was still going to help her, exactly how he was taught by his mother.

"T-thanks…" she mumbled, refusing to look him in the eyes.

He mutedly supported her back to camp. The others immediately crowded around them, fretting whatever injury she had sustained. Madison's death had affected them all in some way. It brought them closer together – more protective than ever, but none of them had the same connection that he had with Madison.

He returned to his tent and moodily rolled his juggling balls around. She never had a chance to see him perform, did she? He had wimped out on the first night after seeing her. Would she have enjoyed it or would she heckle at him? No one in particular cared about his performance. It was boring, but other than standing there with his God forsaken hands in front of him, he was nothing special. He wasn't talented in anything. He was just weird. He was nothing but a freak.

That night, more of the townspeople came for the show. Since the curfew lifted, they trickled in slowly. It was never a full seating, but it was better than nothing. Having to practice for the show meant that there was something to distract him from his thought.

"You can do this," he mumbled to himself. "You've done it before a million and one times. It's all the same. Catch. Throw. Catch. Throw. Catch. Throw. Don't drop them."

He fiddled with the balls. They weren't the problem. He was so well practiced with them that he could do it in his sleep. He just wasn't in the mindset to perform. Being on the stage again meant reliving the last time he peered beyond the curtains and saw the small brunette staring forward towards him, but not quite at him.

"You're still practicing?"

Maggie was behind him. He felt uncomfortable around her after what occurred. Her words still echoed in his head, but his anger had dissipated. It wasn't her fault that she didn't understand. She tried trying. It just didn't turn out the way either of them hoped.

With a deep breath, he pivoted and found her inches from him. She was taller than Madison. He could feel her breath brush against his chin. The scent of cigarettes was still fresh on her. It smelled as if she had just gone through a pack before coming here.

"Jimmy – "  
"Maggie – "  
They abruptly stopped.

"Gone on," he mumbled.

"Jimmy, I'm really, really sorry about what I said. I didn't mean to hurt you. I don't like how it feels as if we're strangers, again. You're the closets person I have here. I mean, there's Stanley, but…" She stopped and appeared to be keeping something from him as she continued on. "But it's not the same."

He sighed. "I don't want it to be awkward between us, either," he admitted. "I just… I don't know what I want." He shifted his feet. No, he did. He wanted Madison back, but that was impossible.

"We don't have to be," she told him, looking at him behind thick, dark lashes. She took his hand and took another half a step forward. Their bodies were almost touching. "Have you ever thought of leaving here?"

He frowned at the sudden question. "Yeah, I mean… This isn't exactly my dream to be stuck here forever, but it's all I have. And I love all the people here."

She squeezed his hand. "You can have anything you want you just have to – " She shifted away when he suddenly leaned down for a kiss, letting go of his hands.

"Obviously not," he snorted. He took his balls and walked away. It had been a mere test. She was playing a dangerous game with him. His intentions had been to see how far she would go for him. To her, he was something to look at, to stave off some loneliness, but not to love. That much was clear.

Once he got to the show tent, he was ready. His anger had seared away the stage fright that he would experience every once in a while. He waited for his moment, thinking back to the fortune teller who spoke as if she had their best interest at heart , but he knew she was hiding something. He wasn't an idiot.

"Hey! You're up!" Paul hissed quietly at him, snapping him out of his thoughts. He sent his friend a half smile and walked out.

There were only a dozen or so in the audience and they all looked to be bored out of their minds. His act really wasn't going to change that. He juggled the balls as he always did. The plastic orbs rose and fell in an almost perfect arch.

"Mommy, I want to go home," he heard a young girl whine.

Her mother glared at her. "Not so loud! We wasted money on this. We're going to enjoy every second of it."

Her voice was soft, but the tent was small. There was no way to hide any noise.

"But I'm boored!" the girl cried.

He had the urge to throw all the balls at the audience. They weren't here for the performances. They were here to gawk. He was sure that if they were on display in cages, they'd enjoy that a lot more. Maybe the girl would even try to feed him a peanut.

"How much longer is this?" another man grumbled.

The girl had started a chain reaction that couldn't' be stopped. It spread from person to person until the entire tent was filled with loud complaints. They didn't seem to realise how rude they had become as one fuelled the other.

A headache began to pound in his head. He couldn't do this anymore. He was so sick and tired of everyone's expectations.

He had had enough and at the moment, he didn't even care if Elsa kicked him out of the troupe for assaulting the audience. It definitely wouldn't be the worst thing he had ever done.

Suddenly, there was a burst of fire that appeared midair. It quickly extinguished and a body fell heavily on to the floor.

There were loud gasps, followed by roaring applause. They all thought it was part of the act. They whistled and cheered, not realising that the juggler was completely frozen in shock.

He peered down the stage to see long brown hair scattered beneath her. Her body was pale, flawless, and absolutely _naked_. He quickly jumped down, took his shirt off, and covered her up. As he carried her away, he could hear Elsa doing damage control.

"And there you have it! Our rarest and most difficult act performed by our _Burning Woman_!"

He gently laid her on his bed. His eyes were glued on her, lingering on her perfectly healed arm.

Her chest rose rhythmically up and down.

She was alive. He couldn't believe it no matter how long he stared at her. His mind was unable to reverse a solid fact that was engraved into his head. The dead didn't come back to life. It was impossible – _she_ was impossible.

Her eyes suddenly fluttered open. The grey orbs were slightly glazed over and a slow, dreamy smile spread across her lips. She looked at him in a way he didn't deserve. "Madison…"

"Hi, Jimmy."

* * *

 _AUTHOR'S NOTE_

Had a minor scare when I pulled out my USB stick and the metal casing in the front bit remained stuck in the drive…

Anyway! I couldn't omit Madi for long, so she's back! But things are probably going to change between them. Good or bad… Who knows?

Also, many thanks to **HerOverYonder** for coming up with the "Burning Woman!"

Oh! And did anyone watch _Alien: Covenant_? I found the crew to be lacking in a certain department for this movie, but... expect a David one-shot coming sometime soon! Does anyone like him, or is it just me?

Thank you **NameWithNoMeaning, HerOverYonder, Bumblebee1013, Cosmo39** , guest ( **anonymouscsifan, Christineaanatol, AuroraSeven, DaisyChain, Laurel)** for reviewing!

 **NameWithNoMeaning** : So glad to hear from you, again! I'm doing alright! How about you? I will eventually explain how Madi came to be this way, either in this story or in V, which is my wrap up story.

 **HerOverYonder** : Haha‼ That sarcasm is great!

 **Bumblebee1013** : Her disappearing is like magic! Muahaha!

 **anonymouscsifan** : Are you still hanging on there? Teehee! I can't wait to write Mordrake back in, but… Probably not going to be anytime soon. I have so much planned, right now! My original outline has pretty much unrecognisable and I'll need to redo it, because it's definitely going to be longer than my previous stories in the series!

 **Christineaanatol** : Thank you so much for reviewing! I hope you've enjoyed this chapter as much as the last!

 **Cosmo39** : Ahaha! You should be awaiting Madi's reaction instead… I never intended for it to turn out like this, but I've already started on the next chapter and it's gone just a bit loopy…

 **AuroraSeven** : Shocked, indeed!

 **DaisyChain** : HAHA! Indeed she is! I should've expected that. There will definitely be more Dandy!

 **Laurel** : Yes, he knows! Here's the update‼

Thank you as well to everyone who has favourited and followed this story!

Please drop a review if you liked this chapter and it'll really make my day!


	10. Chapter 10

**CHAPTER TEN**

I opened my eyes to the dark sky that was slightly hidden by the tall trees. I couldn't recall exactly what happened, but this feeling of disorientation could only mean one thing. I had died, again.

No matter how long I thought on it, I couldn't remember anything. There was just this lingering pain that squeezed my chest and an overall feeling of defeat. I was tired. My body ached, my head ached, my heart ached. I didn't want to do this anymore.

Throughout the night. I felt a variety of small critters passing over my body. It was uncomfortable, but I wasn't in the mainframe to fully care. They were all going to come and go. They were going to live and die – a natural cycle that took hold of everything in the universe.

I didn't sleep that night. There was too much on my mind. I especially hated when it triggered the image of him. He looked at the blonde with so much care and worry. I was sure that he had also held her in the same fashion.

"No more…" I whispered into the darkness, verbally urging the mental torment to cease. I didn't think that anything could be as unbearable as being burned alive, but clearly, I was mistaken. This was so much worse. He was like a plague that constantly affected me. I couldn't live a single moment without him haunting me. There was nowhere I could go to protect myself.

When morning came and went, so did I.

I didn't know how long this went on for, but days must've gone by. I remembered very little of each, short timeframe I had with living. I just knew that each time I woke up, I was in a slightly different location, but that as typical. I never woke up at the same location. It was always a headache getting back into my corner of the alley, especially with no clothes on. It was a miracle that I hadn't been arrested for public indecency, yet.

Now, it didn't matter. I didn't have anywhere to go and unless I found shelter for the day, I would keep burning. It simply wasn't' worth the effort anymore. I was going to allow whatever power that governed my dead body to take me where it wanted to go. Maybe I'll eventually fall off a cliff, break all my bones, and die of blood loss. Would I finally be rid of this life, then? I had never tried taking my own life before. There was just this other part of me that kept chanting, "Just another day. You can die any time you want, but living takes effort." Somehow, that had gotten me going for all nineteen years of my life. Somehow, that had been enough. Or maybe… I was afraid to know what would happen if I tired.

It was difficult to keep clinging on to my little mantra, now. I found myself falling just a little further into the darkness every day. I really wanted to do it for my mother who never had a chance to live out her own life. She had died so young. She had died thinking that she was alone with no family, only a stranger to hold her hand. I didn't want that. I didn't want to be alone when I died. I wanted to be held and loved. I wanted to know what that felt like.

I scoffed at my own desperation. How could I possibly long for something I never knew? It didn't make any sense. Not as if any aspect of my life was normal.

I closed my eyes when the sun hit them. It was mind-numbingly painful, but at least, this was faster. I hated dying feet first. It simply took too long to die.

When I next woke, I was in a different place – a familiar place that I never thought I would return to, with a familiar face that I never thought I was going to see. As he looked at me, I was reminded of how beautiful he was.

"Madison…"

"Hi, Jimmy," I smiled at him. This was an unexpected dream. I couldn't recall that last time I had done that. It was so nice. I didn't want it to end, or maybe I was really dead this time. Did God give me the face of an angel I wanted most? That was nice. I wished I had actually believed in them when I was living. Would He let me see my mother?

I really missed her.

I sighed when a gloved hand touched my face. I could feel the heat radiating off him. He was so warm. If this was a dream, he wouldn't mind if I held him, right?

Just this once…

Reaching up, I touched his feather-soft hair and gently pulled him down. His lips felt heavenly against my own and when he deepened the motion, I knew that this wasn't reality. It was disappointing, but if this was all I could get, I'd take it.

The bed began to dip when I felt him shift above me. One leg brushed across stomach and he supported the rest of his body with his elbows. His hair tickled my nose.

A hand tugged the blanket off and I felt his skin on mine. When had he taken off his shirt? It didn't matter. His gloved hand brushed my nipples and clutched on to my breasts. A gentle squeeze made me moan. He was just as passionate as he was before, but gentler. He touched me as if I was going to break at any moment.

"Madison," he mumbled against my lips.

I ground my hip against his and felt a sizeable bulge that rubbed back against me. "Please…"

He broke away and worked fervently on his jeans. When the leather gloves got caught in the zipper, he pulled them off, cursing under his breath. He tugged at the small metal piece until it finally came loose and he threw the denim fabric away. Just as he was about to touch me, he froze, staring between the hand and me with a look akin to fear. Was he truly bothered by them?

I wrapped my fingers around his wrist before sliding them to his fused digits. He tried to jerk away, but I held on tight. No more hiding. That was what I wanted and since this was my dream, no one was going to stop me.

I pressed his hand against my chest. He was even warmer without all the fabric around us and despite its abnormal appearance, his fingers were agile and danced along my skin as he grew more and more confident.

He trailed them down my body and brushed against my sensitive bud. I let out a quiet whimper, buckling into his hand. "Stop teasing me…"

I brushed his hair back to see his eyes darkened with lust. This was exactly how I liked to see him looking back at me.

With a smile, I brought his face back down and he hungrily devoured me. I would gladly let him do anything he wished.

"Don't leave me, again," he whispered. "You don't understand what you've done to me."

The feeling was mutual. He incited something frightening from within me, but all I wanted to do was embrace it. I ran my hand down his body and felt his toned muscles twitch and tense.

"I can't… I won't be able to hold back if you don't stop me, now," he told me, clenching his eyes shut. I could feel a slight tremour in his body.

"I need you, Jimmy. I don't want you to stop. I don't ever want you to stop," I breathed, softly crying out when he brushed his groin against mine. "Take me. I'm yours." There was nothing but truth in my words. It felt right. I felt complete with him against me. It didn't matter if I was imagining everything. It didn't matter if I was dead or going crazy. I just knew that I belonged to him and nothing was going to take him away from me.

He shifted and I felt the searing head brush against my entrance.

"Now!" I groaned, trying my hardest to get him to move and stop teasing me, but he chuckled, holding my hips with his long hands. "Jimmy!"

"Say it. Say it, Madi."

"Take me, Jimmy. Make me yours," I begged.

He surged forward with a groan as I tried to will away the pain that was ripping into me. He was too big. Was he tearing me in two?

"I'm sorry. I'll get off. I – " His eyes were wide when my face scrunched up.

"No!" I shouted, holding him close with my hands and wrapping my legs around his waist. "No, please. I'm alright. Just give me some time. Don't leave me."

My lips trembled and tears began to well up in my eyes. I couldn't explain why I was feeling this way. All I knew was that whatever I had suppressed in this entire time was starting to leak out and it felt as if it was going to explode out of me. "I'm sorry… I don't know what's wrong with me."

Instead of laughing at my sudden ridiculous behaviour, he held me close until the horrible feeling retreated and all I could feel was his body pressed so closely to mine. "I'm never letting you go, Madi. You're safe here. You're safe with me."

Of course, I was. I smiled. In here, no one can hurt me.

With a content sigh, I wiggled my hip and let out a muffled moan when he slowly slid out inch by inch. Each movement touched somewhere that left me begging for more.

He pulled out until only the tip was still inside me before plunging back in. 'Jimmy!" I cried out, throwing my head back.

I had never felt this way about anyone before. My heart felt as if it was going to burst out of my chest, but it wasn't unpleasant. It was overwhelmingly exciting.

We moved together for most of the night before he fell asleep behind me. His warm breath brushed against my ears.

I laid there for hours, afraid if I went to sleep now, I was going to wake up back in the forest, or worse, back with Dandy. If I could, I would stay awake forever just to remain here in his arms. I wasn't' ready for this to be over, yet. I wasn't ready to lose him to the pretty fortune teller. I hadn't even had the chance to tell him how I felt, but… what _was_ I feeling?

I shifted my body to have a better look at him. His lashes were so long. I was jealous.

My fingers ghosted down his face and stopped at his heart. The gentle thuds were barely noticeable. Had it raced for me when we were…

What were we?

Had we made love? Or was it just sex?

I shook my head. It was what I wanted it to be, right? I was the one in control here… So why didn't it feel that way? All of this, it wasn't my life. This didn't happen to people like me.

I buried my face into his chest. I couldn't lose him. He was the only one who ever made me feel. I wouldn't be able to go back to how things were before.

"What's wrong?" I heard him groan, groggily. "A-are you crying?"

I shook my head.

"Then why is my chest wet? Why is your face wet?" He seemed genuinely confused at first before pushing my shoulders back, but I stubbornly looked away. "Madison, look at me."

"Madi," I mumbled back.

"What?"

"I like it when you call me Madi," I quietly told him, flushing at how silly and childish that sounded. What was I? Five? I had always been Madison. Why would it change, now? "You don't have to. Sorry – "

"Madi, I like it." He smiled, but his eyes turned sad as things became serious, again. "Tell me why you were crying."

I shook my head, again.

He frowned before rolling on top of me. "Tell me you're not going back to sleep tonight."

My heart skipped a beat. I was fine with that. I was more than fine with that. To show this to him, I shifted our bodies until we were one.

He buckled his hips in shock, groaning. "You're going to be the end of me."

This time, he was rough. He took and took what I freely and happily gave to him. And this time, I couldn't prevent the pull of absolute fatigue from disarming me.

When I next regained consciousness, there was a part of me that dreaded opening my eyes. When I was in that forest, I had spent several days just lying there with my eyes closed. I was tempted to do the same this time, if only to preserve the dream I had. It was so rare – so precious. I was scared that if I died again, I would forget it. I would lose him, again.

It wasn't until the warmth around me began to move did I open my eyes. They popped open so quickly that the light burned, but I couldn't stop staring at the pale flesh in front of me.

Was I still dreaming?

"This isn't a dream, Madi." I looked up to see Jimmy staring down at me with soft eyes.

Had I spoken aloud?

"If it was a dream, I never wanted to wake up. You don't know what it was like when I thought you were gone forever," he whispered. "When I said that I was never going to let you go, I meant it. You're stuck with me, now."

My eyes watered.

…

He watched in horror as his words seemed to have a negative effect on her. Had he been reading it all wrong? He should've known that Madi was too good for him.

He had just hoped that –

She smashed her lips against his and he could feel the desperation radiating off her. Her entire body was pressed against him. HE groaned, feeling her soft flesh harden him.

"Do you promise?" she whispered, breaking away from his lips.

"Hm?" His head was a ball of fuzz and all the blood had already rushed downward.

"Do you promise to never leave me?" she asked again, eyes wide.

"I promise," he eagerly replied, leaning down for another kiss, but she moved away.

"Not even for her?"

Her words confused his already distracted brain. Why was she being so difficult? Didn't she understand how he felt? Couldn't she feel it? What was she even talking about? "There's no one who can tear us apart. _I promise_."

"Good." She nodded with satisfaction. "I never knew jealousy until I saw you with her and it's so silly because we weren't even together, then."

He tightened his arms around her waist. There was a surge of guilt, telling him that he had been the fool. He should never have ran from her. She should never have tried to force those feelings towards a different woman. He nearly lost Madi without admitting to himself how much she actually frightened him.

In fact, she still did. Those feelings continued to run rampant from within and he didn't know how to control them. Where she was concerned, there was no seeing reason.

Eventually, he decided that he'd just have to deal with it because the alternative was simply unthinkable.

* * *

 _AUTHOR'S NOTE_

Happy Fathers' Day to any fathers who are probably not reading this story… Just out of curiosity… _**ARE**_ there any fathers here?

Anyway, this chapter definitely didn't turn out as planned, but I hope you guys don't hate it! I know that it's a little unorthodox the way I got them back together.

 _Fun Fact: We should only be on Chapter Eight according to my initial outline… There was only supposed to be around 18 Chapters, but I don't think that will be the case, anymore._

I'm also most likely going to post another chapter into _V_ _,_ so keep an eye out for it!

Thank you **HerOverYonder, Bumblebee1013, Cosmo39, Mystery Angle, NameWithNoMeaning, Idiaz054, Applejax XD** , guests (Lizzy **B, anonymouscsifan, Laurel, Jean, Guest, AuroraSeven, DaisyChain** ).

 **Lizzy B** : I'm so happy you like the ones in Jimmy's POV! I always wonder if you guys like me switching between Madi to Jimmy (or any Evan Peters characters) sometimes! I'll be sure to include more in the future.

 **HerOverYonder** : Teehee! The ship is saaaiillliiinggg! When it will sink, nobody knows~!

 **Bumblebee1013:** Is this together enough for you? Ahaha!

 **anonymouscsifan** : I intended to put the explanation in _V_ before, but since that story is going a little slower than I expected, I'll include it in this story… at some point. When I first gave Madi her quirk in this story, it started with photosensitivity, but then it slowly evolved into a Phoenix- inspired theme. Jimmy grovelling will come soon (*foreshadow*foreshadow*). I'll let you draw your own predictions for that. I find the twins likeable in some ways, yet detestable in others… I can't decide if I like them or not, so it'll show in this story. And Maggie I _definitely_ don't like.

 **Cosmo39** : Loopy Madi! Not too much happening in this chapter. Sorry! But it'll pick right up again, soon! I thought I'd just give you guys a little break before it spirals off.

 **Mystery Angle** : Hope you're still alive! The next chapter is hereee!

 **NameWithNoMeaning** : Oooh! Congratulations! I hope your graduation celebration was great! I haaaate heat waves, but it's quite cold here I live and I'm typically cold in general, so I still use two duvets when I sleep. Jimmy admitting feelings‼ I think he's really coming to terms with the bundle of emotions that's inside of him and all the confusion when he's with Madi.

 **Laurel** : There will be more angst to come later! Teehee…

 **Jean** : I'm definitely thinking of a permanent stage name for her right now, but I'm also contemplating whether she should be part of the show or not. Everything's up in the air… I don't even know why I bother with initial outlines.

 **Guest** : Thank you‼ More will come, soon!

 **Idiaz054** : I'm so happy that you like this story! More Madi and Jimmy to come!

 **AuroraSeven** : I had to include Maggie's rejection somewhere. I just wasn't sure how to incorporate it until the time came because I didn't want Jimmy to actually have feelings for her in my story.

 **Applejax XD** : Madi's baaaaack!

 **DaisyChain** : I think this chapter was intense in a way that you didn't quite expect… In Alien Covenant… I can't believe they didn't wear suits when they went on the foreign planet‼ It's so silly! And it all spiralled down from there. Grr… But David definitely saved the movie from being a bit of a flop for me. I'm slowly writing a one-shot for him right now… Might turn into a mini story, but I'm not sure yet. I haven't gotten much done.

Thank you as well to everyone who has favourited and followed this story!

Please drop a review if you liked this chapter. It'll really make my day!


	11. Chapter 11

**CHAPTER ELEVEN**

This was the happiest I had ever felt. I was floating on Cloud Nine in total bliss and nothing was going to bring me down.

It was nerve racking and embarrassing at first when I woke up in his arms and realised that none of it was a dream or some vivid fantasy conjured by my half conscious mind. Everything that I said… I couldn't take them back, now, and I wasn't sure if I wanted to. All the things I did and said were part of my deepest desires and he hadn't run away screaming, yet. That had to be a good sign, right?

With that in mind, I thought I'd go all the way. It wasn't as if there was a point of keeping it a secret from him anymore. And although I knew he wasn't going to hurt me when I told him about my condition, I didn't know exactly what to expect. Two contradicting facts in my mind collided. On the one hand, I knew he would never intentionally hurt me. On the other hand, I had been burned too many times by the people around me. The only way I knew to protect myself was to keep it a secret. When I told Jimmy about keeping it to himself, he was reluctant. I knew how much these people meant to him, but I was adamant. I was afraid.

There were a select few I was comfortable with and they were the only ones I was going to tell. He respected my decision, but told me that Elsa was a must. He figured that it was also going to help my situation here if she didn't view me as just a normal girl. What he couldn't guarantee was if Maggie would keep my secret a secret. I knew she had been there that night and she more than likely witnessed me burning in the sun. I was just going to have to take the chance. Maybe I could speak with her.

"Good, I'll go get you something to eat and we'll talk more after." He had slipped out of bed without anything on and I shamelessly stared. It was great not having to be discreet anymore.

Once he was decently covered, he ran his hand through his hair and pecked my forehead.

I was now laying on the bed with all the adrenaline gone and every part of my body was in pain. Sitting was uncomfortable and I knew that if I tried to walk around, I was going to look like a stiff penguin, so I curled up on his side of the bed. I still found it hard to believe that he had chosen me.

Maggie was clearly the better choice, but I really shouldn't question his decision. I was happy. I was safe. And finally, I felt loved.

"Still sleeping?" A body half jumped on to me, his chin tucked between my neck and shoulder. "Get up, so we can get some food in you. You'll need the energy." He left a trail of kisses on my bare skin.

"Not if you're going to do that," I mumbled back to him. He chuckled, moving the cover down to expose my breasts. "Mm…"

"Come on, sit up!" His body left my own and I pouted at the loss, but fingers suddenly poked at my sides and I jerked so violently that I fell over the side of the bed.

"Jimmy!" I screamed.

There was absolute silence for only a moment while I rubbed my rear end. And then, a snort and he burst out laughing.

I narrowed my eyes. I was going to kill him. I blew up and across the bed, successfully catching him off guard as he fell on to his back, his head dangling off the mattress. I was straddling his hips with only a split second to enjoy my victory before I found myself completely vulnerable with him on top of me.

"You should leave the hard work for me." He grinned cheekily. "Scoot up."

I looked at him curiously, complying to his commands despite the ache between my legs. Once my back was against the headboard, he reached over to the night table and brought the plate over. "Open wide." He brought the piece of bacon to my lips and just as I was about to take a bite, he popped the entire strip into his mouth.

I shouted at him, giving him a whack to the stomach. I was sure that that hurt me more than him.

"I'm hungry, too, you know. Last night was one Hell of a workout. We'll need to do it, again, tonight."

My face flushed. "Shut up…" Was that all he was going to think about, now? This was a completely different Jimmy to what I was used to and I found I liked both of them equally as much. He could be angry and aggressive, yet soft and passionate. I wanted it all.

We lazed about in his tent for a while before his mother came shouting for him to get back to work. He let out a groan and we cuddled for a minute more. 'I'll be back."

I nodded. I was sad that I would be missing half of his life. He was enjoying all the thing the days could offer and I was just… stuck in this tent.

Whenever he was away, this place felt more like a prison.

I stared contemplatively at his sheets. Despite them being rather raggedy with old stains, I wondered if I could drape them over me completely with eyeholes. Sunglasses should be able to protect my eyes, but… then I was sure to be laughed at by everyone.

Walking around my confines, I continued to ponder of ways I could spend more time with him. The thoughts grew more and more far-fetched, until I abruptly stopped them with a painful pinch.

Alright, I was fine. I was in a safe place – a better place since home. I just needed to get used to the new environment. I was fine. Everything was fine.

With another deep breath, I was calm, but it didn't take long for the dread to weigh heavy, once more. Jimmy was working, but he had _two_ jobs. Was he still servicing those women? Was he enjoying his time in the sun with them? I wanted to desperately to know, but the last time I asked, he became angry and I didn't want that to happen, again.

I needed to stop and just trust him because… what else could I do? I didn't want to lose him when I've only just began to explore the feelings he invoked in me. They were so volatile and frightening, but I couldn't get enough of it. I couldn't get enough of him.

"Madison? Mind if I come in?"

I saw the shape of Eve's tall frame through the plastic. "Of course, come in."

I stood back as she opened the flap. She stopped several steps inside and stared as if she didn't quite believe what she was seeing. "You're really alive…"

Shooting her an uncertain smile. I waited expectantly for it to all sink in. Eventually, she took in a deep breath and walked the rest of the way to me. Her arms were immediately around my smaller frame in a tight hug that lifted me up off the floor.

"I'm alright," I reassured her, but the only response I received was a muffled sob. "Don't cry… I'm sorry…!" I found it difficult accepting Amazon Eve crying. It didn't suit her.

"I couldn't lose another friend," she whispered. "Your death affected us all, especially after Meep died just recently." I didn't know who he was, but he seemed to be an integral part of their family. "I don't understand how you're here. Did Jimmy miss seeing you in the woods? He said there was no body to bring back. I'll kill him if he left you there this entire time."

"No, I… I did die. If I told you what really happened, could you keep it a secret for me?" She was someone I trusted and I hoped that my judgment wasn't wrong.

"Of course," she promised without hesitation.

And so, I told her of my story. There really wasn't much to it, but by the way she seemed to be bursting with questions, I knew it must've been confusing. If even I didn't understand why these things happened to me, I couldn't expect anyone else to.

"I'm glad you're back. Jimmy wasn't the same without you. He was angry and sad all the time. I thought we were going to lose him, too, but today, he seemed to be much happier." She raised an eyebrow at me. "Did something happen?"

I shifted my gaze away, my face lit up as I remembered what we had done the night before.

A smirk appeared on her face. "So _that's_ why he looked so happy."

"S-shut up…" I couldn't even look at her. I could just imagine it getting around the entire troupe. They were never going to let us live it down, but at least he'd be the one to take the brunt of it.

"Is he still here?" I asked.

"Yeah, Elsa didn't like him slacking off, so she's probably whipping him back into shape," she told me.

I let out a sigh of relief. "Is he inside?"

She nodded. "At the show tent." She gave me a knowing look. "Do you want to go see?"

I excitedly bobbed my head. "Can you lead me there? I can't..."

"I know. Don't worry about it."

I wrapped myself up in his blanket and felt Eve put her hands on my shoulders. From behind, she pushed me out, being careful not to let me hit or trip over anything. When I was finally inside again, I slipped the cover off my head.

My eyes found him instantly. As Even had said, Elsa looked to be scolding him. He was looking like a young chastised child, nodding his head to everything she was telling him.

"You look at each other in the same way," Eve said from beside me. 'I never knew anyone could look at anyone like that – only in books."

"Our girl is going to sweep hi off his feet!" Desiree sashayed over, wrapping a part of her boa around me. I guessed that she was no longer under the impression that he was smitten with Maggie. I was finding it hard to believe, myself.

"Madi…" I heard his voice and turned right into the kiss.

There was an immediate chorus of wolf calls and cheering from all around us, but I could barely hear them. I was so hyped up with adrenaline. I never even though of how we were going to tell the others, but he obviously had everything figured out.

I melted into his arms and sighed happily when he deepened the contact.

"Okay, lover boy. Ya gotta let her breathe, now," Paul snickered.

I buried my red face into his shirt once we broke away. It was just too easy losing myself in him. "H-Hi," I squeaked at everyone after collecting myself. "Hope you don't mind if I stayed to watch?"

"If you don't distract everyone, any more." Elsa rolled her eyes with her arms crossed. She didn't look amused at our display and neither did Maggie who looked as if she was going to push me straight into the sun, but the lack of questions from the others was a relief. I really couldn't see a reason why she would keep it a secret, but I was glad that she hadn't.

"Come on, girl. Sit there and let us show you what we can do." Desiree winked at me.

They all took their places on the stage, behind the stage, and all around me. I had thought that they were just a bunch of mediocre acts and the crowd only wanted to see their abnormalities and maybe most of them did, but seeing them again, I realised that there was so much more. The way they moved, sang, and talked told of a hidden story. It just took a little longer to look for it or perhaps some time to get to know them. Is aw their losses and triumphs. They fell and rose from the prejudice that was upon them through no fault of their own.

I closed my eyes as Elsa sang. Her voice had long since been damaged by the cigarettes she puffed day in and day out, but it also gave her a raspy depth that was unique.

When it was done, I clapped heartily at them all who each bowed to me in turn. "Well done!"

Jimmy jumped down from the stage with a wide grin. "Much better than before?"

"Much," I agreed. "I never got to enjoy it the last time because of the circumstance, but that was a brilliant performance!"

"Alright, we're going to run through that, again!" Elsa barked. "No time to rest!"

I got comfortable in my seat, watching and commenting as they rehearsed it again from start to finish.

…

"Are you happy here?" Jimmy suddenly asked me as we walked back to camp. We had taken a detour after their rehearsals when the sun finally set. Now that I knew the clown was gone… No, there was still a chill from the woods – a chill that frightened me more than the clown ever did. It was Dandy.

Even though he wasn't here at that exact moment, his very existence scared me. I didn't know when he was going to suddenly pop up, especially since he knew I was been with Jimmy. Now that I had time to think about it, I was surprised that he hadn't come back for me that after night. Was he watching from the shadows or had he left before that?

"Madi?" I looked up, remembering that he had asked me a question.

"Yes, of course, I am." I smiled at him. "You don't know how long I've waited for you…"

He blinked.

"For you – someone like you – who I can feel safe with…" I blushed, realising that I had said something strange. "I just… I'm afraid that one day, it's all going to end."

His eyes darkened. "I'm never going to let anyone take you away from me." He pulled me into his arms and buried his face into my hair. "I'd rather die first than to go through all that, again."

My days with him were absolute bliss. He treated me like a princess and worshipped my body like a queen. Everything he did made me fall just a little deeper for him. I wasn't sure if I was ever going to find a way out and I wasn't intending to.

He was everything that I ever wanted and more. And it wasn't just him. The rest of the family all welcomed me with open arms. Even Elsa didn't look at me with such disdain, anymore. The only problem were the twins and Maggie. I could always feel their glares burning into me.

Jimmy remained completely oblivious to their feelings, but I wasn't sure what to do, yet. I wasn't one for confrontations. I also didn't like how awkward it felt when any of them were in the same room. When It old Eve and Desiree, they brushed it off. To them, it was clear that Jimmy only had eyes for me, but… there was this small part of me that kept asking, "For how long?" that voice was persistent and could be terribly loud at night when everyone was performing, but whenever he returned, it'd retreat until the next time he went away.

"Madi, I love you," I heard him murmur, sighing into my neck. "Don't ever leave me."

I had smiled that night and promised him forever, but out time seemed short. I couldn't understand why things came to be the way they did.

* * *

 _AUTHOR'S NOTE_

Sorry! The chapter is a little short. I had to cut off a bit of the ending because it wasn't going the pace I wanted it to, so this ended up being another fluffy one. I hope you guys don't mind! The plot (canon or original) will pick up again, soon. I am anticipating some torches and pitchforks, so I'm building up my little fort, now, just in case.

I also noticed that not a lot of people have been reading or reviewing "V" so far, so I'm thinking of possibly suspending that until the end of this series where I'll be doing it in chronological order instead. I had a feeling that releasing it before the series is over may end up backfiring on me.

Thank you **HerOverYonder, Bumblebee1013, Cosmo39, Mystery Angle** , guests ( **anonymouscsifan, Lizzy B, AuroraSeven, DaisyChan** ) for reviewing!

 **HerOverYonder** : Now, we just have to wait to see if anything happens to the ship… Hmm…

 **anonymouscsifan** : Nope, only one review from you! I guess the first one failed. And yes! Have to love Jimmy and his hands and his dimples! This is the calm before the story. Teehee… I didn't want to rush things after just having them properly together, so I thought I'd fluff it up some more.

 **Bumblebee1013** : Just some more cuteness for now!

 **Lizzy B** : Thank you‼ Hope you liked this chapter!

 **AuroraSeven** : They seem to be a cuddly, fluffy couple, right now.

 **Cosmo39** : I'm happy to write them together! It's a nice break from everything else, but I'm kind of ready for more action… I just want to make sure I get the pace right.

 **Mystery Angle** : Teehee! Thanks for reviewing!

 **DaisyChain** : My David one-shot has ran away from me… It was intended to be under 10k words, but… I'm at over 9k and not even half way… So it's most likely going to be split into chapters and turned into a mini story.

Thank you as well to everyone who has favourited and followed this story!

Please leave a review if you liked this chapter. It'll really make my day!


	12. Chapter 12

**CHAPTER TWELVE**

For the millionth time, Elsa was nagging him about asking Madi and time and time again, he refused. Even if his tiny brunette agreed, he wouldn't let her do it.

"I'll put the two of you together," she said. "Imagine all the people who would come see her. Our very own Burning Woman! As much as I hate to admit it, they _loved_ her."

He shook his head. "I'm not getting her die over and over again for their amusement. Nothing is going to convince me otherwise."

"Jimmy, we've lost Meep and Ma Petite has disappeared somewhere. We need her to do _something._ She can't just sleep all day and eat our hard-earned food. I'm not running a charity here," she went on. "Besides, you're not even doing your side job anymore. Maybe you can get on with another gig and we'll negotiate after."

He looked down. It was difficult to imagine working like that, again. Sure, he had first met Madi that way, but if he did it with other women, it'd just be _wrong_. It didn't matter if he didn't feel anything for any of them. He'd touch them in a way that should only be reserved for her. "I'll think of something. Just give me some right, okay? I'll support the both of us. Don't worry."

With that, he left with his head full of thoughts and worry. He didn't have any plans. He didn't have another job lined up, but he knew that he'd have to find one. If he kept his hands gloved, maybe he'd be able to hide the fact that he was a freak.

"What's wrong?" Madi asked him when he entered the tent. She was laying half dressed on their bed and all thoughts he had melted away.

"N-nothing." He continued to stare until she blushed and wrapped the cover around herself. Even after holding and touching her in the most intimate way possible, he still couldn't believe that she was really his.

A shy smile appeared on her face. "Do you want to sit down?" She patted the spot beside her and he automatically accepted the offer, feeling the tug that pulled him closer to her. "Something's bothering you. You can tell me, you know? Maybe I can help."

He sighed, kicking off his shoes and tugged the cover until she rolled off it with a giggle. His lips quirked upward as he situated them both properly beneath the blanket. "You know the side job I've told – you've seen me do?"

Her body went still and the amusement disappeared from her face. It didn't take a genius to figure out that she didn't want him to continue a job like that and he didn't want to either. Even before she came into his life, he felt dirty selling himself for money. He had been little more than a glorified prostitute, but that was when his self-esteem had been rock bottom.

He may put up a tough front for his friends to protect them and as much as he tried not to let anyone's words affect him, they did. _Freak. Manwhore. Monster._ At first, he was merely enraged by their rude ignorance, but eventually, he started thinking that perhaps, there was some truth in their words. Surely, if the majority believed it to be truth, then it must be indeed that.

It didn't help that Dell came and didn't even acknowledge their kinship. Was he truly so horrible that only his mother would love him? For the longest time, he had wanted someone by his side; someone who wasn't obligated to love him; someone who he knew he could fully give himself to

Miraculously, during his despicable side jobs, she fell into his arms.

"Jimmy? You still there?" He quickly snapped out of his thoughts and apologised. "Are you… Are you going to do it, again?"

He shook his head. "No, I'm going to find another job. Maybe at the bar or the diner… I don't know… Maybe at a garage. Not sure if these hands can do anything delicate, though…"

She smiled, taking his hands and kissed his knuckles. "There's nothing wrong with them and you shouldn't have to work two jobs. I can probably find something to do – a night job somewhere?"

"No," he quickly protested. "There ain't anywhere decent for a proper lady like you. It's not safe to wander outside at night. That fuckin' bastard could be out there stalking you and I can't protect you when we have a show here."

"Jimmy… I can't just stay here leeching off you forever. Let me do something. Maybe… Maybe I can take up Elsa's offer?"

"No!" he shouted again. "Madi, stop. You're not going out to who knows where at night and you're not burning yourself to death every day for seven people's amusement! Please, let me take care of you. Let me just know that you'll be safe."

He couldn't even fathom what he would do if he lost her, now. He was going to keep her where no one would be able to hurt her. "Stay here, okay? I'll be back later to tell you the good news."

…

I watched him leave and sighed. I knew I was being a burden on him and he was too much of a gentleman to admit it. It wasn't fair that he had to do everything to support the both of us when he was already struggling himself before.

Jumping to my feet, I wrapped the blanket around me and blindly walked towards where I knew Eve's trailer to be. When I accidentally bumped my head on the side of the steel wall, I gave it a proper knock. Unfortunately, the person who came out to greet me wasn't the person I was looking for.

"What the – Madison? Is that you under there? What are you doing here?" Paul's voice notified me of my mistake. I guess I overestimated my sense of direction.

"Sorry, I was looking for Eve. Do you mind helping me over there? I can't see anything at all with this covering me," I told him.

"Yeah, sure. Give me a sec…" He closed the door and I felt his deformed hands on my shoulders. His body was pressed close against mine due to his short arms and I could smell the lingering scent of shampoo on him. It was vastly different from Jimmy who was typically emitting his own aroma of sweat and something else that I hadn't quite identified, yet.

I shook the thoughts away when Paul knocked on Eve's door. "Hey, ya there?" he called out, but no one replied. "Eve?" Nothing. "Sorry, love. Not sure where she is. Do you want me to look around?"

"No, it's alright," I replied with a smile, even though I knew he wouldn't be able to see it. "You've been really helpful. I guess I just had some things I wanted to talk through with her, but it can wait."

He hummed before directing me back the way we came. "Anything I can help with? Not really doing anything right now."

"Well… I don't want to bother you – "

"Come on." He pushed me in before I could protest further.

I heard him pulling down the blinds before tugging at my blanket, signalling me that it was dark. I slid the sheet off my head and blinked. The layout of his trailer was very similar to Eve's, but there was a sort of messiness that seemed to match his personality – every item was placed accordingly to where he could reach them.

"Go on. Make yourself at home." He gestured to the small chair and desk tucked into a corner while he laid on the bed with his ankles crossed.

I slowly sat myself on the wooden chair, feeling very much like an intruder. Paul and I had never been particularly close. We were friends, but we weren't best friends. I wouldn't typically find myself spilling my heart to him. This, however, wasn't a typical situation. He was someone who had known Jimmy for a very long time and I knew how well they got along. Surely, he'd be able to help me.

"You see…" Once I started talking, the words came blurting out. He wasn't surprised when I told him about how Jimmy had gone job hunting. I guessed that Jimmy had already spoken to him about it. "I don't want to continue being a burden to him," I went on. "He's already working so hard. I just want to help in some way."

"And ya spoke to him about it already?" He was leaned back and comfortable, almost as if he was going to doze off at any moment.

I nodded. "He doesn't want me out and about working and I understand why. I know my condition makes it difficult to find and hold a job, but… I can't just lay around doing nothing!"

He shrugged. "I trust his judgment. And if he doesn't want ya to work, I'd say, better for you! If I didn't have to, I wouldn't be working either. It's not fun, ya know?"

No, it didn't look fun, but life wasn't always about fun. It was about sharing the burden with the one you love and solving problems together. I voiced my concerns, but he waved them off.

"I think you really need to talk to him about it. If your pride and sense of responsibility is going to get in the way of your relationship, is it worth it? I mean… If it's something you _really_ want to do, I'm sure he'd understand." Maybe he was right. I didn't exactly want to sneak around behind Jimmy's back.

I sighed. This wasn't really getting me anywhere, was it? I didn't need to talk to Paul or Eve or Desiree about this. I needed to talk to Jimmy.

After thanking Paul and declining his offer to lead me back to the Jimmy's tent, I blindly wandered around. I didn't want to go back, yet. That tent was so overwhelmingly Jimmy that I knew if I went back, my thoughts would be of nothing but him.

"Hello, Madison."

I jumped and turned. I hadn't noticed anyone beside me and I couldn't quite tell who it was. "H-hello?"

I heard him take a step forward. "I've been meaning to talk to you. Do you mind just coming back with me to my tent?"

His voice. Mr. Hollywood? What could he possibly want to talk to me about? "Sure. Do you mind, helping me there? I can't really see."

"Of course." I could hear the smile in his voice and forced my shoulders to relax when I felt his hands. I didn't know what about him made me so on edge. It wasn't as if I had seen him around often. Could it be because of his connection with Maggie? Was I allowing my jealousy to get in the way of judging an innocent man properly?

We walked a few minutes towards a part of the camp that I wasn't used to frequenting. Being the new additions, Maggie and Stanley were situated closer to the outskirts of the camp. The grass was a little drier. The wind a little stronger.

"Here we are."

The flap of his tent closed and I carefully tugged away the blanket. I turned to Stanley, observing him carefully for the first time. He had a very typical rich man look. His dark hair was perfectly coifed with an equally neat moustache above his lips. He regarded me with a smile on his face. "You don't know how long I've wanted to talk to you. It's hard to catch you by yourself, you know. You're quite a popular lady and a natural at attracting attention."

I frowned. Where was he going with this? I hoped that he wasn't going to do anything… untowardly. I'd rather fling myself into the sun than the betray Jimmy like that.

"No need to look so guarded with me," he went on. "I know your predisposition is a little unconventional, but I'm sure Hollywood would greatly benefit with your presence."

"My predisposition? What exactly do you know about it?" I knew that Maggie wouldn't keep it to herself, but I wondered what she had told him and how many people she had spoken to."

His smile widened. "No need to look so alarmed. I haven't told anyone else about it, but I already have in mind several roles that would require no exposure to the sun. You'll be making thousands before you know it."

Thousands? I couldn't deny that the prospect was tempting. Wasn't this what I was looking for – a way to earn money to help? Stanley could be the solution to all my problems! But… "Would it mean leaving here?"

"Well, of course." He blinked at me. "We'll be going to Hollywood! No more small town Jupiter for you!

That would mean leaving Jimmy… "No, I can't." I knew there had to be another way. Leaving him would defeat the entire purpose of… of… of my life! I wasn't looking for money to be rich and famous. I just wanted be with him and help him and _love_ him. "I'm sorry. If it means leaving Jimmy, I won't do it."

"Madison, you don't know what you're giving up. Love may be important, but you're young! There are others out there. Besides, look at his hands! Don't you want someone normal? Someone who isn't a freak – "

I glared at him. "I don't want anyone else and Jimmy is _not_ a freak. I appreciate your consideration with my future, but I believe that our opinions differ far too much for us to work together. Thank you and goodbye."

I flung the blanket over me and stormed out, my destination was unimportant. I just needed to get away from that pompous man who thought he could lure me with the prospect of _Hollywood_. If he was a representation of Hollywood, then I wanted nothing to do with it.

…

Jimmy couldn't believe it. "T-that's it?"

The middle-aged, slightly pudgy man, raised an eyebrow at him. "What, you don't want it?"

"No! I mean… I want it. I really want it." He still had difficulty processing what was happening. "I'm just so glad that you're giving me a chance despite…" He looked at his gloved hands.

His new boss crossed his arms. "Yeah. Yeah. You did well on the little test, but if you fuck up, you're gone."

Jimmy nodded. "I won't disappoint you!"

"Alright, now go. You're wasting my drinking time." The large hand waved dismissively at him.

He didn't need to be told twice. With another exclamation of gratitude, Jimmy hurried away to tell Madi the good news. Of all things, apparently he had talent working with cars. It probably helped that he took great care of his motorcycle, but those intricate parts, he usually had help from Eve. He never thought that he'd be able to do it himself.

When he returned to camp, he was met with his mother who had her arms crossed. "And where were you, Jimmy?"

His face split into a wide grin. "I got the job!"

"What? What do you mean you got the job?" She followed him in confusion as he hurried away to try to find Madi.

"I'm working at that garage near the diner! Since I can't work the other side job anymore, I went looking for something else and I was hired!" he exclaimed. "Madi?" He peaked into his tent, but found it dark and empty. Where had she gone?

Despite not quite knowing what he was going on about, his mother was happy that he had another source of income. In fact, she told several people and those several people spread the news throughout the entire troupe. They congratulated him on the accomplishment with food and drinks.

Since Madi came back, his life had been on the up and up. Nothing was going to bring him down. _Nothing_. He just needed to find her…

"Here, have another soda!" He accepted the drink, his eyes still busy darting around, trying to find the tiny brunette.

…

I ended up bumping into Eve, someone I still very much wanted to talk to. She was at the barn, tending to the animals and we spent the rest of the afternoon talking. I didn't bring up my concerns to her because I knew I had thought enough of it by myself and with others. I just needed to talk to Jimmy about it.

Instead, we engaged in a relaxing conversation about food. It was random enough to take my mind away from my current dilemma.

When the sun finally set, we made our way to the cooking stations. The smell of food waft over and we were surprised to see everyone already congregating there with plates in their hands. Was there some sort of festivity that I wasn't aware of?

"Hey, girls!" Desiree waved them over. "Did you hear? Our Jimmy has a proper job at the garage!"

My eyes widened and I couldn't stop the grin that stretched across my face. Pride bloomed in my chest. I knew he was talented. I knew he could do anything he wanted to. "Do you know where he went?"

She looked around, then shrugged. "He was here, but then he kind of wandered off. I think he was looking for you. Try his tent?"

I nodded my thanks, took two plates of food, and hurried away. I couldn't wait to see him!

My heart was racing with excitement when I saw the tent. Words were waiting to burst out of my lips. I had so much to say to him, but what I really wanted to do was hold him and love him. He was absolutely amazing.

But then… I heard shouting and it alarmed me.

"Jimmy! Jimmy!" I heard her cry. Her silhouette could be seen in the brightly lit tent.

I saw how their dark forms moved together.

I saw how they embraced.

It didn't make any sense why it was happening. He promised he wouldn't let me go. He promised to love me forever. This couldn't actually be happening. Had I really mean so little to him? Was I really only just a bed warmer – someone to keep around until something better comes around?

"Madison, wait - !" I heard Eve call out to me, but I was gone.

* * *

 _AUTHOR'S NOTE_

You all knew this was coming, but how did you expect it to happen?

Also, Happy Canada Day! 150 years old (plus a day or two depending on where you live)! It's also going to be the Fourth of July soon, so the best to all the Americans reading my story!

Thank you **HerOverYonder, Cosmo39, Applejax XD** , guests ( **anonymouscsifan, Lizzy B** ) for reviewing!

 **HerOverYonder** : Oops! I've been found out! The ship might be sinking a little…

 **anonymouscsifan** : Decided to give Paul some action as well! I hope you savoured the warm fuzzy feeling while it lasted. Muahahaha!

 **Lizzy B** : I haven't watched Hotel, yet, because I want to still have just this season fresh in my head, but if enough people want that, I really can't disappoint!

 **Cosmo39** : Maaaaaaaaaaaaybe

 **Applejax XD** : I hope you were expecting this!

Thank you as well to everyone who has favourited and followed this story.

Please leave a review if you liked this chapter!


	13. Chapter 13

**CHAPTER THIRTEEN**

He woke up with his head pounding and the need to throw up. The nausea and dread that filled him was incomprehensible. Something was wrong. He didn't need to open his eyes to know that. Something was very, very wrong. He wondered if he kept his eyes closed that he could delay the inevitable just a little longer.

The body beside him sighed and drew closer.

His heart continued to drop. This was all wrong.

But he was so afraid to face reality. He didn't even know how it happened. There was a drink involved and then, nothing. What was he going to do? He didn't recall consuming any alcohol.

"Jimmy, are you awake?" she whispered, her breath raising the hair on his base chest.

No. No, he wasn't. This had to be a horrible nightmare.

"Jimmy?"

He wanted to clench his eyes and turn away. He needed desperately to wake up.

"I'm going to go to the bathroom. I'll be back."

It wasn't until the bed shifted and he heard her quietly walking away did he open his eyes and watched motionlessly as the blonde hair swished behind her. He was motionless even when he couldn't see her anymore. He refused to believe that this was real.

"Madi…" The words falling off his tongue broke him out of his suspended state. He had to find her. He had to explain what happened because he knew. He knew she had to have been here at once point.

But what _did_ happen? How did he even end up with Maggie in his bed? What the Hell was he going to do?

Staggering to his feet, he made himself presentable enough to not scare away any children before going on his hunt,. His feet carried him everywhere, but there wasn't a single glimpse of his tiny brunette.

The panic began to settle in when he realised that she wasn't here. It was day and she wasn't in a single tent or trailer. What if she died, again, because of him? What if she was lost and afraid in the woods? What if –

He felt pain hit him like a truck. He tumbled to the side and crashed into the wall of Eve's trailer. Her looming form was partly shrouded in shadows, but he could already see the anger in her eyes.

She knew.

"What have you done?" she growled.

"I… Where's Madi? I need to talk to her, please. I – " He never got to finish what he was saying before he was slammed against the steel shell. The force rattled his bones and amplified the pain in his head.

"What were you doing last night?" The glare she was sending him told him everything. It had all gone wrong and he would gladly be eve's punching bag if it meant turning back time.

She had only just started trusting him and he went and fucked it all up, but he needed her to understand. He didn't know what happened that night. It was so foggy and he had never had a night like that. He hated how much his mother drank, so other than a few sips, he never had anywhere close to being thoroughly inebriated.

He tried his best to explain everything to Eve who – despite the anger that still radiated off her – listened patiently to his story. He knew his words couldn't have meant much after he knew what he had done, but he had hoped that it was enough to have her help him find Madi.

"I don't know what you've gotten yourself into, but I've seen you struggle and I've seen you cry over her. I've seen her done the same. You better make things right with her." He nodded fervently to her condition.

They had wasted enough time and each passing second, he was imagining her crying, frightened face. As they were leaving camp, Desiree had spotted their frantic forms rushing out and intercepted them before they could leave. It didn't take much for her to start rallying the others to help. No one else knew what he had done and he wasn't going to say anything until Madi was found. They didn't need to be distracted from the search.

"Madison!" Eve shouted down the road.

He heard similar cries all around him. He walked down the hill, past the diner, past the garage where he knew work was waiting for him, and threw rows of houses, but he couldn't find her. He even asked the strangers on the streets. Other than the disgusted looks, they gave him nothing.

If only he knew more about her. He never really had the chance of taken the initiative, did he? The moment she was in his arms, he was unable to think. She took away his very ability to be human. He was just a complete mess, but with her. He had been a beautiful mess.

And now, with her gone, he was no better. He was worse. Where she was concerned, blood was always racing through everywhere except his brain.

"Madi!" he called out. For a moment, he thought he saw her, but even as he ran towards the brunette, he knew that it couldn't be. The woman was walking casually in broad daylight. "Madi!"

The woman turned to him in shock. Her wide, brown eyes narrowed when they settled on him, a look of distaste scrunched up her face. "Excuse me?" Her voice was harsh as if he was the lowest of the low and didn't even deserve to be near her.

She was not his Madi. She was nothing like his Madi, but he didn't doubt that that would be how she'd regard him if she was found. _When_ she was found. He refused to believe that this was going to be the last time he saw her. He refused to believe that her last memories of him was going to be his unfaithfulness.

The sun moved too quickly across the sky. Before he knew it, his only source of illumination was the low glow of the moon and the yellow-tinted bulbs of the streetlights.

"Madi?"

There were only a handful of them still searching. The rest had long since given up.

"Madison!"

The voices faded one by one until he was the only one left. He slumped down on to the ground. He didn't have much in this world and even less that he cared about. There was his mother and then… the woman he had in his grasp only to lose her so quickly. What the Hell was wrong with him? Maybe he wasn't meant to have anything good in his life. His mother was dying and his father was blissfully ignoring the fact that he was his son. Did everyone think he was stupid? The moment Dell Toledo arrived, he made sure to know who he was. It was the only way to keep his family safe.

Dell may look normal, but every other male in his family was cursed. They were cursed like him, with those horrible lobster claws.

Jimmy glared at his hands, wondering how everything had gone so wrong so quickly. One moment, he was floating on a cloud, feeling as if his life was finally looking up. The next, he was back in the shit hole.

But there wasn't anyone to blame. He should've known better. The drink must've been spiked. Maybe it was a joke. Maybe it was on purpose. He couldn't even remember who had given it to him. All he knew was that he had fucked everything up and now, his Madi was gone. He didn't even know if she was okay.

"Jimmy…?"

He looked up and saw a lithe figure through blurry vision. He was so tired. His head hurt. All he wanted was to take the brunette in his arms and never let go. Wasn't that what he promised her?

"Come on. Let's go back." He allowed her to lead him back to where everyone was congregated. The air was somber as no one could find her. He noted how the twins were also missing. Where had they gone? No, he shouldn't know. It was probably best that they left before he hurt them, too. That was all he was good for…

He plopped down heavily on to the log beside Eve who gave him a sympathetic look. When her gaze fell on Maggie, they hardened. The blonde shifted her eyes away, but refused to leave. She sat beside him and put a hand o his knee.

It wasn't her fault, but her very presence made him feel nauseated all over again. He needed to make things right. He just didn't know how. There was a giant piece of him missing somewhere – perhaps even dead. What was anyone supposed to do?

"Maybe she didn't' like it here," Maggie told him. Her tone was meant to comfort, but her words had the opposite effect.

"I'm sure there would only be one reason why she didn't like I there," Eve replied, bitingly. 'Did you have fun, last night?"

"I don't know how any of that is your business." Maggie glared back. Her hand on his knee tightened. "Jimmy is a grown man. He knows what he wants – who he wants- and what makes him happy. He doesn't need you to hover over him."

"Does he look happy to you? You seem to have a very twisted definition of happiness. Why would you do this to them when everyone knows how much he loves her?"

Their bickering was making his headache worse.

"Clearly, he went to me for a reason. He would I know why? Maybe she couldn't satis – "

"SHUT UP!" he shouted.

Everyone fell silent.

"Just… shut up. I can't…" He couldn't do this. He was having difficulty believing that any of this was even real.

He quickly stormed away, ignoring the concerned looks. They didn't understand. It was all his fault that she was gone and he was sure that everyone would know when morning came.

…

The days passed at a snail's pace. He couldn't focus on anything. This was just like when she had died in front of him the first time. This helplessness was disarming and he was afraid that he was really never going to find her again, this time.

As expected, both his mother and Elsa scolded him for his lack of effort during both practice and shows, but it was too difficult to care. Their voices came and went. He knew the gist of what they said to him, but none of their words mattered.

"I don't see you that upset over the twins." Elsa rolled her eyes. 'Have you even thought of them once since they left?"

He was actually startled to heat that. He didn't know that they were still missing. "Where did they go?"

She rolled her eyes. "You really haven't been listening to a word I've said, have you? I told you that if that girl distracted you from your work – "

"Well, she's not here anymore," he remarked with gritted teeth.

"Yes, and you're still not listening, but I'm sure they're all in a better place," she told him, shooting a ring of smoke into the stuffy tent.

"Where did they go?" he asked. His curiosity peeking out. Could Madi have gone with them?

"Somewhere." She shrugged. 'You left a trail of broken hearts behind, you know?"

So they also left because of him. It was always his fault, wasn't it? He never meant to hurt anyone, but his life only seemed to know one trajectory, and it was utter chaos.

…

What he didn't know was that Elsa knew exactly where they were. Of course, she had been notified. She knew everything that went on in her Cabinet of Curiosities. It was really no big loss for her. She even got a hefty sum for them, something that she wouldn't have gotten on the first night. No one could ever say that she wasn't an intelligent woman who knew exactly how to do business.

The desperation and elation of the spoiled brat was pathetic. Why anyone would pay that much for them, she would never understand, but her pocket was heavier and she had less mouths to feed.

Life was good.

…

Eventually, he found out where the twins had gone and it left his blood running cold. No one understood why he was so against the Motts, except Maggie, but she remained silent as he threw his legs over his motorcycle and raced to the biggest estate in town.

The Mott household was as obnoxiously big as he imagined. Everything about it screamed rich brat and he was looking forward to venting his anger out on that pretty face. After everything that psycho did to him… After everything he had done to his Madi…

He was going to kill the bastard!

Jimmy stormed through the lawn and banged on the door. The sound echoed in his head as he continued to imagine all the things he was going to make the Dandy Mott pay.

The door clicked and swung open to reveal his arrogant smug.

"Where are they?" Jimmy snarled, pushing his way into the mansion.

Dandy provided no resistance. . He merely smirked back. "I don't know what you're talking about, but if you don't leave, I'll call the police."

"Do that and I'll tell you how you were involved in all the kidnappings!" He was seeing red.

"Do you really think they'll believe you or me?" Jimmy didn't want to admit it, but he was right. Everyone knew how corrupt the police were. The rich would get a little slap on the wrist if even that. Usually, someone else would get the blame. "Why don't you go back to your Freak Show. I don't need you guys anymore. I've realised what I can really do."

There was a malicious glint in the other man's eyes that made Jimmy hesitate, but he couldn't stop here, now. He had come so far with all the pent up emotions. Something had to give.

"Let me see them. I know they're here!" he continued, holding on to the hope that he'd be able to save _someone_.

Dandy let out a dramatic sigh. "Alright. If that's what you really want. It's not as if I kidnapped them. They came willingly after realising how much more I can give them. Unlike you, I'm perfect and people _can_ tell the difference."

He was led down long halls until Dandy pushed open an ornate door to reveal the twins sitting on the bed in a quiet conversation. They looked over at him with surprise clearly on their faces.

"Jimmy! What are you doing here?" Dot asked.

"I'm here to take you back," he replied. "You're not safe here. This bastard nearly killed Maggie!"

Dot rolled her eyes at him before glancing briefly to her sister in a silent discussion. He wished that he knew what they were talking about. Maybe that would help him convince them to leave this crazy house.

"We're not leaving, Jimmy," Dot firmly told him.

Bette giggled. "She doesn't want to speak to you, anymore."

He couldn't believe what he was hearing. Were they really choosing this false life over a real family?

"Please, leave. We don't ever want to see you, again." For a moment, her eyes slid towards the window, but he was too angry to care.

This trip had been a mistake. He had found the sisters, but neither of them would listen to reason. If everyone wanted to leave him, then so be it. He was sick and tired of chasing after an unreachable goal. He was never going to find his happy ending!

…

 _"_ _ **JIMMY!**_ _"_

* * *

AUTHOR'S NOTE

Review counts dropped quite a bit, so I'm hoping some angst would drive it back up. MUAHAHA! Well, that is only half true. I had this part planned already, but much earlier without the fluff from the past two chapters. I am hoping that this would bring about more reviews, though. I'm not sure exactly why it's dropped by half recently.

If it's not up to par, feel free to tell me what I can do to improve.

Otherwise, thank you **Cosmo39, Idiaz054, Applejax XD** , guests ( **anonymouscsifan, AuroraSeven** ) for reviewing!

 **Cosmo39** : Oops! I hope you haven't lost any sleep over it!

 **anonymouscsifan** : There was definitely more to what she saw! Too bad it's still pretty bad. Jimmy's not going to have a very good time… Neither is Madi. Don't hate me!

 **Idiaz054** : Fluff has ended! Hope you like the rollercoaster ride!

 **Applejax XD** : Yeah… He could've really had a stable job at the garage… Just like some other guy Madi knew. Too bad that didn't work out either…

 **AuroraSeven** : Elsa's horrible, but not horrible enough for everyone to abandon her. She knows her game. I really can't imagine anyone agreeing to Madi being part of the performance, except a certain few I guess. I loved Paul in the show! I'm hoping to include him more in the future, but who knows where that'll run…

Thank you to everyone who has favourited and followed this story!

Please leave a review if you enjoyed the chapter! Or how I could improve this story.


	14. Chapter 14

**CHAPTER FOURTEEN**

I glared at the brunettes who smiled widely at the psychopath. It didn't matter what I said, they were determined to stay here if only to spite me.

"Thank you, Dandy," Bette cooed, biting delicately at the grape that was offered to her.

He grinned back at her and went to feed Dot who bit into it with less enthusiasm. I could tell she was more calculating. Her sharp eyes would shift over to me every once in a while, but neither of them were willing to listen to me.

"Thank you, Dandy," Dot echoed.

I looked down at my own plate. It didn't taste right.

I had first noticed that something was wrong when the house was in a mild state of chaos. Dora always kept everything clean. Then, I realised that everything tasted bland and artificial. She knew her spices and never shied away from creating a flavourful dish. What I had in my mouth paled in comparison.

A part of me was worried that Dora may have been punished for helping me. That was the last thing I wanted, especially since I was back where I started, again. What had it all been for?

I left here only to be thrust back into this life where I had no control over anything. Except, now, I knew what heart break felt like and I berated myself for ever craving it in the first place. How long was their romance going to last before everything fell apart? It happened to me, it happened to me mother, and I had no doubt that I was going to happen to them as well. Perhaps love just didn't exist. I was holding on to a fairytale and I should've known better because that was all it was: a children's fable.

I stood up when everyone was done and walked robotically back into my "room," which was a glorified closet. The twins were now residing where I had been before. All I managed to take was the journal that was my only company.

In my prison, I waited to be executed. It'd happen every day, but never at the same time. Dandy enjoyed dragging me out when I least expected it.

"Shh…" He grinned, stuffing the gag into my mouth. "We wouldn't want to worry our special guests, would we?"

I tried my best to make as much noise as possible and I knew that I had caused a sizeable racket when my shoe caught the edge of a side table. The shattered vase laid in pieces on the carpet, but even then, the twins remained elusive. I knew then that they weren't going to be of any help. It wasn't that they didn't know what was happening, they simply didn't care. It was as if they were in their own little world ignoring everything that was happening around them.

"Mother really liked that vase," he told me, tying me to my sacrificial stone table. I hated seeing the black scorch marks that became engraved into the slab. I was reminded of how much it hurt as the sun ripped me apart. "Oh well… She probably won't be worried about that for much longer."

His words should've worried me, but Gloria had dug herself into this hole. It'd just be one less to worry about if she was gone.

"I'll see you tomorrow."

And then, he was gone.

I glared at the swaying curtains on the second floor. I hated them, almost as much as I hated the Motts. There really weren't that many people I liked, right now.

When the sun came, I clenched my eyes shut. It was as I remembered it. The unbearable pain made my vision go white. I struggled involuntarily – futilely – against my restraints. At one point, I was sure that I had torn half of my wrist off in the frenzy, but I was already gone. The pain was nothing compared to the heat that flaked off my skin.

My only moment of reprieve was when I was already dead and I drifted thoughtlessly – painlessly – in the air.

"Good morning! I heard him sing. "Or maybe good night? Did you have a good sleep? I know I did."

I tried to tune him out. My brain was still trying to recalibrate itself and I was in no mood to deal with him.

"I left you some leftovers. Don't starve while we go to the show." HE chuckled when I narrowed my eyes at him. "Ta-ta!"

When I knew the household was empty, I let out a loud scream of frustration. I banged on the locked door and tried to break through the walls. "Let me out!" Again and again, I slammed my first against the wall until the skin broke and I left a swear of red on the pristine white. "I'm going to kill you, one day! I HATE YOU, DANDY MOTT!"

I turned my head to the mirror. There was a much easier way to get out, but I was scared. What if it didn't work? What if I mutilated myself just to reappear back here? All my fear would have been confirmed. If I didn't die, then I'd be stuck here forever. I needed to hold on to the hope that once I truly reached that breaking point, I'd be able to get myself out of it one last time. It was all I had, now.

The tears came trickling down my face like an unstoppable fountain. It was so silly. I was still clinging on to the one thing that kept destroying me.

Hope was what led me to stay with my mother all those years. Hope was what led me to him. And hope was what had broken me into a million pieces. Even now, I allowed it to be my only comfort, because… What else did I have?

" _Madi…_ "

I clenched my eyes shut. He was still fresh in my memories. He was my biggest mistake. I allowed him to pull me in only to hurt me in a way that I didn't think possible. He killed me from the inside. After all those promises and pretty words, I was never good enough. I always knew it, I just never thought that he could break me so easily.

"WHY?!" I screamed, throwing everything against the wall, wondering if it was finally going to give when the rest of me. The bits of debris tumbled harmlessly to the floor, but I had only scratched the surface. What was I even going to do after I get out? Did I want to start that cycle again – living in dark alleys, hoping that the next person I met wasn't going to kill me?

I lived in fear when I was out there. Now, I knew to expect death. Maybe everything was hopeless, after all.

I held the small circular mirror in my hand and threw it against the plaster. It easily shattered into jagged shards. My face stared back at me – so many eyes looking back – questioning, curious. Was I really going to do this?

The glass was sharp, leaving small cuts on my hand as I cradled it in my palm.

"I'm sorry," I whispered to myself, to mom, to Eve, to Desiree, and Pepper and Paul and… "I'm sorry…"

Shakily lifting the shard to my neck, my insecurities continued to race in my head. This could really be the end. Wasn't that what I wanted all along? Then why did it feel so wrong?

But who was even going to care? No one at camp really knew me. He had been the only one and he had played me the fool. Was he laughing, now?

I pressed the edge against my skin. How deep did it need to go?

I pressed harder until I pierced the skin and winced at the stinging pain. It was like a paper cut.

I dug a little deeper until the rest of the skin dipped down before fully giving into the sharp edge.

It hurt.

It hurt a lot.

A soft draft made me shiver.

This was it.

Letting out a deep breath, I braced myself to finish the motion. The blood was already trailing down my body, soaking into my thin dress.

"I love you…" I whispered those traitorous words before making my final decision.

I closed my eyes.

Suddenly, an icy hand grabbed my wrist and pulled the shard out. The blood flowed more freely, coating the front in warmth – a drastic contrast to what had a hold of me.

My eyes snapped open, staring straight into glaring red eyes and sharp teeth that snarled at me. "Mine!" it growled.

I was stunned at what was in front of me. Green mist and a second face was one thing, but this creature had no discernible form. Its features blended into wisps of shadows that ebbed and glowed, licking against my skin.

"You will not take what is mine, do you understand?" it hissed.

I swallowed. My mouth opened and closed with no words coming out.

It flung the shard carelessly on to the beige carpet, staining a patch in red.

A tendril shot out and wrapped around my throat. I was sure that it was going to kill me, but the darkness remained snug and harmless against my skin.

"Mine. Mine. Mine…" it kept mumbling, curling its shifting form around me. "Mine…"

And then, it fell silent until a burst of pain left me gasping and panting. It felt as if something was digging into my neck, clawing and pulling.

When the tendril disappeared, I touched my neck in shock. The broken skin was completely flawless and if I hadn't just made a fool of myself moments ago.

It pulled my head back, staring straight into my eyes and a wave of fatigue hit over me. It came quickly like a large current that swept me away into its dark embrace.

…

I jolted up, looking wildly around me. Had I been dreaming? The room looked as tidy as it did before. Not a single item was out of place.

The mirror was intact and a single reflection of me stared back. I could see the dark bags and gauntness that left me looking half dead.

What happened?

I had never dreamt of anything so vivid in my entire life.

The door swung open and I saw Dandy's beaming face. "It's sleepy time! Out! Out!"

I numbly followed him and didn't even put up a struggle when he tied me to the table. Even he voiced his confusion at my sudden compliance, but everything felt as if it was wrapped in plastic – muffled, unreal.

"Oh, well… I guess I'll need to think of another game, tomorrow."

I waited for the sun to come. The winter air left cold chills along my skin. I was out there for hours before I saw the first peek of it. It rose so slowly, prolonging the pain of the burns as they slowly travelled up my bare legs. The heat of my skin ignited the edge of my dress. From there, the fire escalated quickly until it licked at my neck.

The fabric fused on to my body and I clenched my eyes shut. At least I wouldn't have to worry about peeling it off me afterwards.

For a moment, I thought I heard the telltale sound of a familiar motorcycle. The sound rumbled loudly in my head. His face appeared in my mind, so clearly that for a split second, I thought he was truly with me – that he had finally come to save me.

But that couldn't be.

He wasn't there.

He was never going to be there anymore and I had to forget about him because the very thought pierced me deeper than the sun ever could.

I had to forget him so that I could regain the strength to keep going. So why couldn't I? Why did the ache of my heart overshadow everything else?

"Jimmy!" I screamed, my voice disappearing into nothing as the darkness finally claimed me.

…

When I woke up, I was already tied to the table, completely naked and shivering in the cool winter night. I had never come back like this before.

It wasn't until Dandy came out in a fit of rage did I realise what I was truly in for.

"Who does he think he is?" he raged, kicking at his mother's gardenias. "He marched into my home as if he owned the place and demanded to see my twins! How dare me?! HE's lucky I didn't shoot him for trespassing!"

My hazy mind was trying to make sense of what he was saying.

"But, of course, once someone has been here, they wouldn't want to leave. It was positively delightful to see the twins deny him and for him to leave empty handed!" His anger had dissolved into glee. The quickly change of emotions made me nauseated. He was the most unpredictable in this state. "I can't wait until one day, I'll take them all away from him!"

I slowly blinked, still attempting to process his words. "He… Jimmy? Was he here?" I thought I had imagined the whole thing. If he was here, then… Why didn't he…?

"Funny… I don't recall him even asking about you." Dandy looked contemplatively to the sky, a malicious glint reflecting in his eyes. "I guess you're not that high in his priorities, after all. I thought he might've stolen you from me because he actually wanted _you_. Now, I'm pretty sure he only wanted a taste of the things that I can have." He looked positively gleeful. "Everything at the tip of my fingers… He would never be able to have any of it with those fiendish claws of his."

I swallowed down the tears. I had to stay strong. I had to live. I had to live for mother if no one else. I was going to make her proud.

"I really have no time for you today, so I'm just going to leave you here a little longer. Have fun!" He skipped away, seemingly completely cheered up by my misery.

I laid limp on the stone slab with my eyes closed. At least, I was going to burn without clothes. That was _some_ good news.

…

I was dumped unceremoniously into my room after he had his little fun of watching me die and reappear. I never knew what that looked like. Did I reform from the ashes or did Is imply appear whole?

I sighed. My face remained on the soft, plush carpet of where he left me.

It was then that something caught my eye. In the corner by the desk was a dark patch.

Upon closer inspection, I noted the burgundy tinge. Dry blood? When had that happened? Was it mine?

 _ **"MINE!"**_

I gasped when the memory of glaring red eyes hit me. That had all been a dream, hadn't it?

I touched my neck, feeling for any blemishes.

Nothing.

I inspected myself in the circular mirror.

Nothing.

Was I simply losing my mind?

* * *

 _AUTHOR'S NOTE_

And a familiar character appears! Were you expecting it to show its face?

Thank you **HerOverYonder, Cosmo39, Mystery Angle** , guest ( **anonymouscsifan** ) for reviewing!

 **HerOverYonder** : Unfortunately, not in Hollywood. I wonder what would be worse… To be Dandy's play thing or be exposed to the entire world what her quirk is…

 **anonymouscsifan** : You're right! It's such a delight torturing my characters sometimes, but it'll get better eventually… Maybe?

 **Cosmo39** : I missed Dandy, too, so that's why he's back!

 **Mystery Angle** : Now you know what happened to Madi! Kind of… Mostly…

Thank you as well to everyone who has favourited and followed this story.

I'm so close to reaching 100 reviews. I'm really hoping to get there with this chapter!


	15. Chapter 15

**CHAPTER FIFTEEN**

He looked back. He drove around the estate, but he found nothing. Was he losing it? He could've sworn that he heard someone cry out to him. He could've worm that it was _her_.

When he glanced into the backyard between the trellis, he couldn't quite comprehend what he was seeing. There were dark patches scattered around the lawn, but the darkest imprint was on the stone picnic table. There were bits of burnt rope laying just to the side. What exactly did that mean?

He squinted his eyes, spotting what appeared to be a gag and froze. A sick feeling sank into his stomach. Madi had lived here before. How many times had the sick fuck tied her up in his yard and watched her burn? How many times did she die here before she got away?

Jimmy quickly rode back to the front and banged on the tall iron gates that were now locked. "Come back out here! Come out! Where is she?! Where's Madi?!"

His words went to deaf ears. No one came out to greet him. HE was stuck with the feeling of dread that there was a possibility she was back here. Why hadn't Dot and Bette told him, then? They would, wouldn't they? If Madi was dying somewhere, he was sure that the twins would've told him.

He was… sure…?

The thoughts made him feel better. Madi couldn't be back here. She was somewhere safe and probably very angry at him, but she was safe.

His ride back home was a tangled web of thoughts. One side of him wanted so desperately to believe that she was fine, but the other part of him knew that something was wrong. He just wasn't ready to face it, yet.

When he returned, his mother was in front of her trailer with a bottle in hand. She always had one and would get quite drunk at times, but she never once laid a hand on him.

He loved her so much, but ever since she told him about her condition, he was afraid of losing her as well. She was all he had at this point. He couldn't lose her…

That day, he joined Dell in the bar. They drank until the sun came down and his mind was thoroughly hazy. If his mother was going to do this to herself, why couldn't he?

He looked at his father who appeared as inebriated as he was. This man who looked as ordinary as they came was from a family that looked like freak. What made him so special? Why did he pass on those cursed genes to him?! Why did he leave his mother? Why did he leave _him_?

Seeing the man now, he realised that he didn't hate him. He really wanted to, but he didn't. He just didn't want to lose anyone else.

"'M sorry 'bout the girl," Dell slurred, taking another gulp of the amber liquid. "She wassa nice girl."

"Didn't deserve her…" Jimmy mumbled back. "Too good for mee.."

Dell slung his arm around his shoulder. "There'll be more!"

He opened his mouth to reply, but the nausea hit him hard. He ran out the bar and puked into the filthy alley.

Dell came stumbling after, laughing at his sorry state.

Jimmy chuckled with him once he was better, but he saw the man much more clearly, now. Before he could stop himself, the words came blurting out in an unstoppable stream.

His confession shocked Dell for only a moment and somehow… Somehow it all worked out. Dell wasn't repulsed for having him as a son! And even though they could never have that normal father-son relationship, he was content. For that short moment, he was content.

…

I stared at the spot for hours, but couldn't comprehend how it was possible. What I saw that night was not human demons didn't exist, did they?

"Of course not," I whispered to myself, hoping that if I heard the worlds aloud, it'd push away the silly thoughts. "Demons aren't real, but… spirits are?" My life was just full of impossibilities. What was one more?

But what did it want from me?

I touched my neck, again. It wanted me alive for some reason. It could be the reason why I couldn't die properly, couldn't it?

"Rise and shine!" Dandy sang, flinging the door open. "New day! New show!"

I sat delicately in the sitting room and watched as he led the twins around. They'd smile politely back at him, but it never reached their eyes. I didn't know why they left the others for this psychopath. It was clear that they had romantic inclinations for Dandy despite successfully deceiving him. Dandy believed what he wanted to believe.

"Alright, your turn! You shouldn't need me to tell you your queue!" Dandy barked.

I got up, trying not to roll my eyes in irritation. He charged up the order so much that I never bothered to memorise the mess.

Standing perfectly still, I allowed the music to start and guide my movements. Despite being a horrible mother, Gloria was a decent dance instructor. She was patient with me and all the mistakes I made. She was able to pinpoint every detail that I did wrong and help me fix them.

"That's actually not bad…" I heard Dandy mumble to himself. Dot's face immediately darkened. "Again!"

I continued to dance like a marionette, moving from one side of the room to another. My movements were well practiced and ones that I could lose myself to. It was actually quite enjoyable.

"Oops!" I heard Bette's airy voice and my eyes opened just in time to see the laced curtain and it's heavier, thicker counterpart fly to the side.

I managed to scramble back towards the door before the rays could hit me. "What was that?!" I hissed. Their innocent expressions didn't fool me on bit.

"Now, now… You have to be more careful," Dandy cooed at them.

I shook my head, again. One step away from the crevice and I was going to burn.

"I said… _COME HERE_!" he roared.

I felt myself finally lose it. I grabbed the chair beside me and tossed it at him. It sailed towards the right, narrowly missing him and shattering the window.

"Look at what you've done!" he cried. "Mother! Mother! Come here! Look at what she's done!"

I ran towards the window, trying to disregard the burning pain and tugged free the heavy curtain. I jumped out with it wrapped around my blistering body and felt the impact of dropping from the second floor.

The wind was knocked out of me as I tried my best to shake away the shock. I couldn't believe that I had just done that, but I didn't have time to linger on it. I need to run. I needed to get away, _now._

"Mother! She's outside! The thief broke our window and stole our curtain!" For a split second, I wondered if he knew how stupid he sounded.

And then, I ran and ran. My foot work was light, something I picked up while dancing. I didn't really care where I ended up as long as it was away from Dandy.

Several times, I looked behind me, but didn't catch a glimpse of either of them. I must've lost them while weaving through fences and alleys.

When I was finally out of breath, I found myself in a familiar setting. The trees provided shade that I was grateful to have. I took a short breather before dragging my feet the rest of the way towards the colourful tents that had become my home.

"Oh, my God…" I heard someone gasp. It was an unfamiliar voice – female, relatively young. "Paul! Paul! Help!"

I shuffled past the fence and collapsed, lying on my stomach, my face still shielded by the thick fabric. The adrenaline that had carried me this far had been completely spent. All I wanted to do now as close my eyes and never open them, again.

"What is it, Penny?" Paul's voice joined hers. "What is that?" I heard them cautiously approach before darkness finally claimed me.

…

Paul didn't know what to do. When he heard Penny cry for help, he thought her father had come back to finish her off, but the fallen form in front of them was small.

He slowly stepped towards it and lifted the thick material away. What he saw didn't quite register, but when the girl began to smoke, he quickly let the sheet fall back down to cover her.

Her face was nearly as indistinguishable as Penny's when she first sought him out after what her father had done. They were red patches and painful blisters all across her face. He could only surmise the rest of her was in a similar state. What he couldn't shake away was the feeling that he knew her from somewhere. He just couldn't place where. He cursed himself for his deformed arms as he couldn't bring her to safety, but luckily, Dell came by and they managed to carry her indoors.

She was placed in the first aid tent where Desiree was taking a break, relaxing in her privacy. Their frenzied forms caught her attention and she was quick to help.

The girl was placed on a cot and the covers were safely lifted off her. Some of the fabric was stuck to her skin and they had to cut away in fear that they would harm her further.

Once most of the curtain was gone, Desiree took a step back as something tugged at her mind. It took a full moment before her eyes went wide in horror. "Madison!" she cried out.

The two men looked back at the unconscious figure in disbelief. Surely, this couldn't be the tiny brunette who had briefly stayed with them?

Desiree quickly made them all fetch things for her as she tried her best to take care of their friend. She never understood why the girl had left in the first place, but by Jimmy's morose expressions, she gathered he was part of the cause.

"How is she?!" Eve had burst in before making sure the tent was sealed. It seemed that all the commotion had drawn the attention of everyone else. Even Elsa walked by with a curious glance before disappearing once more. The only one who remained absent were Maggie and Jimmy and Eve wasn't sure if she wanted either of them to be here.

Although Eve no longer held any animosity for the Lobster Boy, she didn't think Madison needed anymore trauma. Her opinion of the fortune teller, however, was not so lenient. The blonde had been unremorseful after what happened. Eve suspected that she had taken advantage poor Jimmy after he became inebriated.

Now, he always had a bottle in hand. After Ethel's sudden death, he seemed to have taken up her lifestyle, but whenever he was drunk, he always caused a ruckus. No one enjoyed being near him when he was in one of his moods, and he was always in a mood.

She understood how devastated he must've been after losing so much in such a short span of time, but all they wanted to do was help him. She had known of Ethel's deteriorating condition and would hate to see Jimmy end up with the same fate. If anyone could help him now, it was Madison.

They _had_ to make sure she lived. The only option might be to take her to the hospital, but there was no way they'd have enough money. Elsa was also extremely shrewd with her stash. They knew she must've made a decent amount with them by now, but they were never going to see a fraction of it.

What were they going to do, now?

"Da fuck are ya guys all doin' here?" Jimmy cussed. He had stumbled in with Barbara by his side. His stance told them that he was beyond drunk, but the obese woman beside him didn't even seem to notice or care.

Eve hated how the woman was satisfied as long as she was showered with attention. With the way Jimmy tended to feed her, Amazon Eve was sure that she was eventually going to blow up. And despite hating Maggie with a passion, she hated Barbara even more. At least the blonde tied to help him out of his depression – help him out of the bottle.

A part of her even felt sorry for how everything ended up for Maggie. All that scheming and Jimmy still wasn't hers. Perhaps a part of him knew what must've happened that night, but didn't want to think too much on it. Madison had already left and any other arguments would only make things worse.

"Who's da ugly bitch?"he continued on, stumbling up to the motionless form.

Eve gritted her teeth and managed not to do anything impulsive, but the same couldn't be said for Desiree. There was a resounding slap that silenced the tent. Jimmy fell to the side in his state of haze and blinked owlishly at the furious woman. 'How dare you? After everything you've done to her… Get out! You're not welcome here!"

Barbara began to tug at Jimmy's arm as he tried to register what had been said to him. His eyes shifted back to the brunette. The blurriness began to fade and realisation finally settled in. "Madi…" he breathed in horror. "Madi!" He managed to shake off Barbara's hands, but not past the barrier that was formed by the ladies. "No… I need… Let me see her!" he begged, tears pricked his eyes as he reached desperately towards the unconscious woman.

"Didn't you hear what I said, white boy?" Desiree growled. "I said: _GET OUT!_ "

"Come on, Jimmy." Dell nudged his son back. He knew better than to argue with her when she was so riled up. "Let's get some air." He never wanted this for him. He may not have been there for his son, but he never wanted to see him in such a sorry state. He wondered if he stayed, if they have formed a stronger bond before that perhaps it could be different. Jimmy would've had him for support instead of drinking himself into oblivion.

"No… No…" Jimmy didn't put much of a resistance as both Dell and Barbara led him out of the tent.

No alcohol could've made him forget her nor the pain of losing her. To see her now, nearly unrecognisable by the injuries was agonising. It was made worse when he knew he had a hand in it.

Once they were by the stable, he collapsed on to his knees. He pulled violently at his hair and screamed towards the sky. All the emotions he tried to drown with alcohol came rushing back stronger than ever. All that pain that was tearing him apart, he knew it couldn't possibly be compared to what Madi must've felt. Who had done that to her?

Because he knew now, she couldn't have left here voluntarily or she wouldn't have come back.

If he found out it was that rich bastard, he was going to kill him. He'd worry about the consequences later.

* * *

 _AUTHOR'S NOTE_

Let me just get this out first: R.I.P. Chester Bennington. Linkin Park was such a big part of my elementary and high school life and even after that. It got me through so much and to listen to those songs again, it's rather painful because all of those lyrics that I thought I knew suddenly have completely different meanings. Every song now reminds me of what he must've truly felt all those years and it's finally come to an end, whether that's a good thing or not… Well… I guess that's relative.

Okay… On a slightly (?) lighter note…

Drunk Jimmy is no fun Jimmy… He's quite detestable, isn't he?

Also, I'm not sure what to do with my " _V_ " story, right now. It's not very popular and I don't think most of you are reading it. Should I just post those chapters when the rest of the series is done? It's supposed to be the final story that ties everything together, but I also want you guys to slowly figure out what is going on. Maybe you guys want to avoid spoilers?

P.S. I had to copy and paste this on to another already uploaded file because I wasn't able to do it normally. Is anyone else having the same problem?

Anyway!

Thank you **Mystery Angle, HerOverYonder, Applejax XD** , guest ( **anonymouscsifan** ) for reviewing!

 **Mystery Angle** : The demons baaaack! It's going to play a smaller role in this story, I think, but critical, nonetheless.

 **HerOverYonder** : It's always Dandy's fault!

 **anonymouscsifan** : Who knows what would happen if she tried to off herself… I guess we'll have to see if I ever reveal it! And of COURSE you'd be my 100th review! Thank youuuu!

 **Applejax XD** : This is how she got out! Is this how you thought it would happen?

Thank you as well to everyone who has favourited and followed my story! I've posted new chapters to my Hitman story if anyone here has read it.

Please leave a review if you liked this chapter!


	16. Chapter 16

**CHAPTER SIXTEEN**

The pain hit me hard when I regained consciousness. Everywhere hurt and I could barely hear a soft voice whispering to me, coaxing me out of the numbness that had kept me sane. I didn't want to leave. I wanted the darkness to claim me once more – to keep me safe, but the pain persisted until I forced my eyes opened.

"Madison…" The sultry voice was pleasant to the ears, but nothing would be able to soothe this pain. "Madison, can you hear me?"

I wanted to reply, but it was too painful to even do that, so I shifted my gaze to her and blinked slowly, hoping that that would convey what I wanted.

She sighed. "I don't know what to do. We've done all we can, but you're already getting an infection."  
I closed my eyes and couldn't find the strength to open them, again.

…

"She's not doing any better," he heard Desiree tell Eve.

"She has to!" Eve adamantly stated.

Yes, she had to. Jimmy didn't know what he was going to if she died. No matter what anyone else said, he knew that if he had just been a little more careful that night, this would never have happened. It was his fault.

He looked over to Barbara who was scarfing down her fifth plate. She was going to eat them to the ground at this rate. What had he even been doing with her?

After his mother died, had he really fallen so far off course? What would she think of him, now? He was reduced to nothing but a cheater fucking a pig.

He swallowed back the bile that left a bitter taste in his mouth. He couldn't do this.

His hand reached over to the dark bottle and he took a sip. Then, he took another and another. It went down like a fiery burn that burned so good. All the pain and doubts became muffled. Everything suddenly didn't seem so bad anymore.

This miracle liquid made all his worries go away. Why did he ever think that he needed to stop? Clearly he hadn't been in the right frame of mine, then. This was all he needed.

He didn't need the pig. He didn't need the princess. And he definitely didn't need the bitch who ran at the slightest thing. Fuck her. Fuck them all! He didn't need women to be happy! There were plenty of things to keep him satisfied.

He slammed the empty bottle down and reached for another, but a hand stopped him. He cursed loudly, staring at the stern eyes of his father.

"Stop it, Jimmy," he said. "You're going to drink yourself to death."

He wrenched his hand away. "Yeah? You're only going to start caring, now? Where were you when I needed you? When mother needed you? Off fucking whores! You have no right to tell me what to do! In fact, you should be proud of me! I'm just following your footsteps because I'm your dear ol' son, isn't that right?"

"Hey, Jimmy…" Paul nervously tried to intervene. This side of his friend always made him anxious. Jimmy had always been their protector, not this field who continued to hurt everyone around him.

Dell let out a deep breath. He hated thinking about the past. It wasn't anything to be proud of, but he wanted to make amends. It was the least that he could do for Ethel. "Stop this tantrum!"

"Stop pretending to be my father!" Jimmy spat back. "You were never one and you'll never be one!" He sent the empty bottle shattering down and snatched up a new one, stumbling away from the solemn faces.

No one wanted to see this side of him and no one knew what to do about it. At this rate, they were going to lose him forever.

And despite everything that just occurred, Barbara continued on eating as if nothing happened.

…

 _I was shrouded in darkness. Although frightening and lonely, I knew I was safe here. I was out of pain's reach._

 _The darkness carried me along in a lulling journey. I was being moved with no destination. Everything looked exactly the same. When I finally stopped, I looked into glaring red eyes in wonderment._

 _A cold wisp caressed my cheek. "Mine…" came its dark, inhuman voice. It brought chills down my spine. I didn't know how to respond, so I remained quiet, allowing the darkness to wrap around me more firmly._

 _"Are you here to take me away?" I whispered, hoping to finally hear what I wanted to hear._

 _It bared its teeth at me and said nothing more._

 _I remained in its strange embrace, finding an odd sense of tranquility,. I still didn't know if it was real or a mere figment of my imagination, but I didn't care. I was beyond caring now. I was willing to accept any moment of peace I could garner._

 _"Don't make me go back," I whimpered, clinging on to it._

…

"What is happening to all of us?" Paul asked no one in particular.

Eve looked into the distance, wondering the same thing herself. Not too long ago, their only worries were the taunts from the other townspeople. Now, it felt as if they were all slowly dying one by one. It was as if a certain evil had fallen upon them.

Penny looked down before raising her eyes, showing a new fiery glint. "Maybe we need to cut off some loose ends."

That wasn't such a bad idea. They could all use something to bring up their morale and what better way than to finally seek revenge on those who had wronged them?

And so, they set out towards Penny's former home. It was easy taking him back where no one would care or hear him scream.

…

"I'm sorry… I'm so, so sorry…" He'd been chanting this the entire time he was in the First Aid tent. While the others had been busy, he had sneaked in here undisturbed to see her.

He had staved off of the bottle, wanting to see her clearly. He also didn't want her to see his shameful state. It wasn't a secret that he was wretched when he was drunk, but the fiery liquid tended to burn away all the pain and guild and regret that was slowly driving him crazy. It took everything he had to go back to reality.

Slowly, he had regained bits and pieces of the memories from that night and he wished that he hadn't. The drink that rotted his brain and lowered his rationality. He finally realised that the beverage that he had been offered was spiked and he knew Stanley was the one to do it. There could've been no one else. He was the one to hand from the mug that was supposed to be sparkling juice. As soon as the drugs hit, he could barely discern left from right. He embraced the woman who had her arms around him and she had been so compliant. Everything happened too quickly after that.

It wasn't until the morning after did he face the repercussions of what he had done. He woke up with the wrong woman in his bed and even before he started searching for Madi, he knew that she was gone. Eve's anger was a mere shadow of what he felt about himself.

And then, Elsa took in Barbara. Just to spite Maggie, he fucked her. He fucked her hard. He let out all his anger on her and not once did the new girl complain. She had been so easy to please. All he had to do was feed her and she'd happily fall into his arms.

At the end of the day, he'd always feel like he was the lowest of the low. His behaviour was despicable. If his mother knew, she would've beat him black and blue. This wasn't how he was raised. How could he tarnish her memories like that? Was he becoming the man who had abandoned him at birth? Was he becoming someone even worse?

"What is wrong with me?" he sobbed. 'Help me, Madi. You're the only one who can fix me."

He froze when he saw her eyes slowly open. They were slightly glazed over as if she was desperately trying to cling on to the remnants of sleep, but a wince appeared on her face and he knew that she had been unsuccessful.

"Madi…" he whispered, gently taking her bandaged hands into his. "I'm so sorry." He couldn't apologise enough for what had happened.

She swallowed, opening her mouth, but only a low groan was let out before she was clenching her eyes shut in pain.

"Do you need water? Are you hungry? I don't know what to do," he whimpered.

She slowly shook her head and her index finger poked out from the hand he was still holding on to. He followed the finger to nowhere in particular. "I don't understand. What do you need? I'll do anything."

Her eyes fluttered. He knew that the pain killers were wearing off and he'd have to give her more. She'd be lost to the world again for another few hours before everything repeated itself.

"O - …" she croaked, coughing. "Out…"

Her finger was still pointed shakily forward. He looked behind him to see the flap of the tent waving gently from the breeze.

"Out… side…?" No, he couldn't. "You're die! I can't let you go outside!"

She looked at him with teary eyes. There was no hatred like he had anticipated. Agony had consumed her and a desperation for release, but he was afraid of that truly meant. "P-please…"

He gently stroke her bandaged face. Every inch of her was covered by gauze and he could see the discolouration piercing through the fabric. The infection was spreading quickly and there was nothing they could do about it – nothing that anyone else knew about but him and he didn't want to do it.

" _Please_." She was in so much pain.

And he loved her so much.

How could he possibly refuse her?

With a defeated sigh, he scooped her into his arms and slowly marched into the setting sun. When he looked down, eh saw that her eyes were closed, again, but some of the tension had left her face.

"I love you," he whispered, wondering if she could still hear him.

And he held her and she burned. He held her as the heat caused his gloves and clothes to smoke. He would've continued to hold her if someone hadn't pried her out of his arms.

Tried as he might, Dell kept him back as she continued to burn and burn and finally became nothing but ashes in the wind.

Why…?

Why had that been the only solution?

How could the world be so cruel to make him relive her death again and again?

"Come on, get him away from here," Paul said, looking sadly at the scorched spot where she had been. He didn't know what to think. Sure, he had seen her appear out of nowhere in the show tent, but Elsa managed to distract everyone that night. And recently, he had seen all the burn wounds on her, but this was the last thing he had expected. He knew for a fact that several of them knew already from their expressions and he was disappointed that none of them decided to tell him.

But seconds after the thought, he realised that it hadn't really mattered that much. Whether he knew it or not, it didn't make a difference. Madison had become an integral part of their group, someone he knew that Elsa would want in the troupe.

Burning Woman really wasn't an incorrect title for her. She burned when she died and she burned when she came back. Was this constant? Would she always come back…?

This question lingered in everyone's heads.

Even stayed with Jimmy as he had all but passed out from distress. She tried her best to comfort him, but all she could say was that Madison had to come back. She died once before, why wouldn't she come back?

"Am I going to have to keep watching her die?" he whispered.

She sighed. "It'll take a little more effort to keep her out of harm's way, but it's not impossible. Maybe it'll get better."

He shook his head. "It's never going to get better. This is the second time I've watched her die. It hurt so much more this time around. She was right there in my arms and I delivered her to her death."

"She wanted you to do it." Eve didn't know the specifics, but she was sure that her logic was sound. 'The pain she was in, imagine how much harder it is for her to live that way? She couldn't eat, she could barely drink, and the only sleep she got were because of all the drugs. That isn't living."

"And neither is this…" He gestured to himself. "I can't' live this way knowing that she'll just keep dying in my arms."

"Then you'll have to decide if having her like this is better than not having her at all."

He tried his best to contemplate the decision, but he couldn't even wrap his mind around it. For more than twenty years, he had been fine, but after she fell unexpectedly into his life, he couldn't even fathom a world without her.

With some urging, Eve managed to convince him to wait patiently for her return. He tried his best, he truly did. He picked up a book and read the same paragraph over and over again, wondering if time normally passed so slowly or if the world was taunting him for his actions.

Several times, his eyes wandered to the amber bottle that sat temptingly on the small table. No, he had to be sober for her arrival. He didn't want her to see that monstrous side of him, again. It was ugly and violent. What if he hurt her while he was impaired? He'd be no better than the rich brat.

The mantra in his head started. It wouldn't be long, now. He'd waited all his life for her, what was a few more hours?

"Jimmy! Jimmy!"

His eyes snapped open when he heard Penny crying out his name. HE quickly wiped the remnants of drool on his face and raced out of his tent.

The sun had long since set and right outside his tent was her naked body. He glared at anyone who dared to stare too long and quickly relocated her inside.

"Madi… Madi…" he breathed, stroking her smooth, pale face. "Wake up. Open your eyes for me."

She was so still…

But it wasn't long before her eyes began to slide open and she woke up with a grasp. Her grey orbs were glazed over as they were the first time he saw her wake up from death, but this time, there was no dreamy smile. Then, the grogginess cleared. There was a flash of sadness that she tried to turn away and hide, but it was too late.

He swallowed. "Madi…" He was repeating her name like an idiot and it was no wonder that she stubbornly refused to look at him. "Madison, _please_. I'm so sorry. I wasn't in the right mind. I never meant to hurt you. Tell me… How can I make this right, again? I don't know what to do."

Her lips trembled and she let out a shaky breath, but she remained silent.

…

To be honest, my first instinct was to hold him. After going through everything, he was the one I felt safest with, but whenever I looked at him, all I could remember was that night. I had fallen so easily for him despite all the obvious flaws and mistakes. How many times was I going to let him stomp on my heart before I learned?

With a sigh, I finally gave him a good, long look. His normally pale skin looked sallow. Dark bags popped out from beneath his eyes and his hair was an absolute mess. Even as he was, now, he was a beautiful mess.

I gently touched his cheek, solidifying to myself that he was real – he was here and I wasn't with Dandy anymore. He leaned his face towards my hand, looking hopefully at me. My thumb ran along his lips and I recalled how soft they felt against my own. They were cracked with dehydration and lack of care, now.

My hand fell heavily back on to the bed and it was as if I had taken all of his hope with me. His eyes welled up.

"I'm sorry, Jimmy… I can't do this anymore."

* * *

 _AUTHOR'S NOTE_

Can you imagine what he must be feeling?

I've also might've made a rookie mistake in my fanfiction writing career. I haven't done this for a while, but I've just started uploading a lot of new stories and they're not one-shots… Eek! It all started when I posted something on my Until Dawn sequel, then the David 8 story (Athanasia), and then one for Strain (Devotion). I'll try my best to make sure it won't interfere with updates for this story!

Thank you **PorcelainPuppetLady, Applejax XD** , guest ( **anonymouscsifan** ) for reviewing!

 **PorcelainPuppetLady** : I completely agree. I love Jimmy, but he just doesn't make the best decisions. And you may or may not get your wish in the future!

 **anonymouscsifan** : I feel like Barbara has probably been neglected a lot (perhaps food is her form of comfort) and somehow ended up in the troupe because no one else made her feel welcome. She'd probably hold on to anyone who would give her any form of affection, whether she truly liked it or not. And she caught Jimmy at a bad time where they were both seeking something to make themselves feel as if they weren't such completely failures in life. Aaaand unfortunately, the demon doesn't have a very big role in this one, buuuuut… more behind the scene stuff will probably be posted in _V_ , soon? I'm hoping to work on more of that after this story is done.

 **Applejax XD** : I'm glad she's not with Dandy anymore, too! Fun to write, but not a fate she deserves.

Thank you as well to everyone who has favourited and followed this story!

Please leave a review!


	17. Chapter 17

**CHAPTER SEVENTEEN**

Throughout the month, I felt as if I had made a horrible mistake. I didn't feel like a complete person without him. Even with Eve and Desiree's support, I was swimming in my own self-pity. I really had no one to blame but me. I was the one who made the final decision.

"All girls night out!" Desiree announced as she burst in on us with a timid Penny in tow. Suzi slowly trailed behind on her arms with a wide smile on her face. "I'm going to take you gals to the sexiest club around!" Her eyes were glittering mischievously.

Eve rolled her eyes, but her lips were curved into a grin. "Yeah. Yeah. We don't have much of a choice, do we?"

"You know it!" Desiree gave us a wink, her feathery boa dangling. "Now, dress in something that will show off those _beautiful_ curves!"

With that, we were momentarily given our privacy. I rifled through my stash of poorly organised clothes, but I already knew that there wasn't anything suitable in there. I collected whatever clothes the others grew out of. It was all old and baggy.

"Give me that," Eve pointed at a shirt she had given me some time ago.

I threw it at her and watched in amazement as she made quick work out of the fabric with a pair of scissors and a small sewing kit.

In ten minutes, there was a dress that showed off my shoulders and bugged my thin frame. The bottom hem barely brushed over my bottom and I feared if I moved too quickly, I was going to end up exposing everything! I couldn't possibly say that to Eve. She had made it for me and it wasn't as if I had anything better. For ten minutes, it was really the best thing I owned.

"Ready?" Desiree knocked impatiently at the door.

Even smiled at me. "Ready when you are."

I nodded hesitantly, wondering exactly what I was getting myself into.

"Let's break some hearts, girls!"

Desiree had managed to convince Dell to drive us into town. We sat in the bed of the old pickup truck, feeling the cool breeze ruffle my hair.

"Pick us up in three hours!" she shouted at him. I smiled appreciatively at her. I knew that if I hadn't been there, she'd stay out all night. With how understanding everyone ended up being, I couldn't think of a reason why I hadn't told them all about my condition sooner. Sure, there were a few who were definitely not going to wish me well, but there were even more who would protect me against them. I didn't have a reason to be afraid here.

She hooked her arm around mine and we stormed in together.

I was immediately assaulted by the smell of cigarettes that threatened to suffocate me. There were dozens of eyes on us – calculating, leering, gleaming, hungry. I was suddenly feeling like this was a horrible mistake, even more so than before. Just the smell alone was enough to convince me to turn tail and leave, but Desiree tightened her grip, sensing my nerves. She plowed through a crowd of men and women who looked as if they were having vertical sex in public.

I felt my face light up in embarrassment. This wasn't what I signed up for! This was definitely not my idea of fun! "Desiree…"

"Look at that big drink of water!" she purred, tugging me towards a tall, dark man who was sitting by himself at the bar. As we approached him, his eyes immediately darted to us. "Why, hello, darling!"

He nodded his head politely back at us.

"The girls and I are here to have a bit of fun." She sidled right up to him, her arm gliding across his shoulders. "But Madison is a little… shy. I'm sure you can keep her safe for us?"

My eyes widened as I wondered what she was going. This wasn't part of the plat, at all! "Des –" My eyes watered in pain when she dug her elbow into my ribs.

He met my gaze and gave a curt nod. What must he be thinking?

"Thanks, darling!" And then, she was gone, leaving me with this stranger who looked as if he wanted nothing to do with me. To be honest, I really wanted nothing to do with him either. Desiree had promised me an all girls night out. I should've known that she had something else in mind. At least he wasn't sleazy, as far as I know.

"Would you like a drink?" His voice was deep. I could practically feel the rumble travel through me.

I shook my head.

"A glass of water for the lady," he called to the bartender who smoothly glided the clear drink over.

"Thank you."

We settled back down in silence. Neither of us seemed to have anything to say, so my mind began to wander back to him. Had he been here before? While I was gone, he must've been drinking a lot. Even half conscious in the First Aid tent, I could hear his drunken rambles that riled up the entire troupe. What had happened to him?

How could I have been so wrong in my judgment?

I let out a sigh.

"I'm guessing you just got out of a relationship?"

I glanced at my companion. His dark eyes bore into mine. "You could say that."

"Do you want to forget about him?" he asked.

"I…" Did I? _Could_ I? "I don't know…"

That night, we did nothing but engage in small talk. He was an absolute gentleman and kept us at a comfortable pace, so much so that Desiree ha rolled her eyes at us when she returned.

She gave me a long talking to on the way back in Dell's truck. The others snickered, while I tried my best not to blush. It was clear that they all had a bit of alcohol in them and the conversation became more lewd than what I was used to.

"I wouldn't have mind riding that dark hose!" Desiree shouted, causing Dell to shake his head with a roll of his eyes. "Did you see what was peeking out between his legs? I think he was definitely happy for you company!"

The blood rushed to my face. "That wasn't it, at all!" It was true that Morgan was very attractive, but I wasn't ready for another relationship. I had to re-evaluate everything I knew about people. The kindest of men could be a demon on the inside.

"True me, honey, that was most absolutely it!"

The others agreed and I was left conceding to their ridiculous notions.

When we arrived back at camp, I tiredly dragged my feet into Eve's trailer. The sun was about to be up and I was mentally drained. It was good that no one expected me to do anything during the day.

As I laid curled on the small table, I realised that today had actually been a good day. I was exhausted, but I was also relaxed. Not once had I thought of him when I finally became comfortable conversing with Morgan. The dark-skinned man had a knack of helping me forget about him. Perhaps I'd be able to see him again, one day.

And indeed, that day came much sooner than I thought. With or without the rest of the ladies, Desiree had taken me back to the club at least once a week and Morgan was always there in his usual spot.

Our talks became more personal. I told him about myself – what I could without giving myself away completely – and he mentioned an ailing mother who was the last of his family. He had also been married once, but his ex-wife had long since left him for another man and half of his money. Morgan wasn't ready for any commitment, yet, and I was glad because I wasn't looking for anything either and it was a relief knowing that he wouldn't be pressuring me into anything.

Each night, however, Desiree was sure to tease me about Morgan. Even at our home, she spoke loudly about my progress with "my new man."

"Are you happy with him?" Eve asked me, while we laid on top of her trailer. The star twinkled back at us.

I thought about her words. True, Morgan put me at ease, but I knew she was implying something more. "He's a good friend."

"Would you leave us for him?"

My eyes widened. "No! Of course not! Unless… Unless you don't want me here anymore."

"That's not it and you know it," she chuckled. 'But he is bound to have a place much nicer than this. You can have your own room, not sleep on that hard table. I know that can't be too comfortable for you."

I shook my head. "I've experienced luxury before and with the wrong people, I'd rather throw myself into the sun and never come back then go there, again."

"What if it's with the right one?"

I stopped. What if…?

"I don't know…" I whispered, honestly. "It was all I wanted – to find love, but now, I'm not so sure anymore. Where I live really isn't an issue. I've lived in a dark, dirty alley for years, I think I can handle just about anywhere, now. I'm just afraid that I'll be hurt, again." I rubbed my eyes, berating myself for the onslaught of emotions that still left me torn to pieces.

Eve sighed. "I'm sorry, Madison. It's too early, but he's sorry, you know? He doesn't remember what really happened that night and he loves you. He's a good kid. He's just confused sometimes."

My lips trembled. "Then why…? He continues to drink even though he knows that that brings out the worst in him."

"That first time, I don't think it was his fault. Must've been Mr. Hollywood and Esmeralda." Eve's tone darkened. 'There's something off about them. IF Elsa didn't like the fortune teller so much, I'd try to get rid of her myself. Ever since they came, we've lost Ma Petite and Ethel."

"Do you suspect them?" I asked, feeling my heart race at the aspect of a conspiracy. I had heard about Ethel's sudden "suicide" and although I knew Jimmy must've been devastated by it, I hadn't been able to bring myself to approach him.

Did that make me a bad person?

"Who knows…"

I understood that she didn't want to accuse anyone so quickly without evidence, but she definitely suspected the duo. I completely agreed with her intuition. There was something very wrong about the two that left me wary.

"Are you going to forgive him?" she asked.

Looking down, I wondered the same thing. "I don't know… Maybe he hadn't meant to break my heart, but even after knowing what had caused it, he still continues to drink. I've heard what he's been doing with Barbara." And it continued hurting knowing how quickly he had moved on. HE said one thing, yet did something else entirely different. "Maybe with time, but I'm not sure we can ever be together like before."

"Then I hope you can forgive him," she told me, smiling sadly at how things had turned out for all of us.

After Eve had fallen asleep, I climbed down to walk around. There were too many thoughts in my mind. I couldn't silence my thoughts. I walked until the sky began to lighten, feeling that sleep was going to be an impossible task.

"Couldn't sleep?"

I clenched my jaws, holding back any explicits that were waiting to burst from my lips. "Is there something you want?" The smoke coming from her created a thin layer of fog that polluted the crisp night air.

She gave me a one shoulder casual shrug. "Probably exactly what you want, but it doesn't seem like either of us are going to get it."

"He's not an 'it' and I _know_ what you did to him," the words came out before I could stop them.

"And what's that?" She smirked back at me. "What could lil' ol' me have done to a big strong fellow like him?"

I crossed my arms. "You know perfectly well what you've done. Got your fifteen minutes in, but that's all he seems to have given you. "

"I can assure you that that was _much_ longer than fifteen minutes. That boy has the stamina of a horse." Her pearly-white teeth bare at me. "But I'm sure you already knew that."

My eyes narrowed. "Did you even enjoy it – forcing him to bed you? Was it my name on his lips?" I couldn't help the scathing remarks, feeling my deepest hatred come forth.

From the way her face pinched, I knew I had hit a sore spot and malicious glee filled me, but it quickly dissipated when her smugness returned. She threw her head back and laughed. "He'll come running back to me."

I scoffed at her delusions. I was done talking to her and turned on my heels to leave when she reached over to grab my wrist. "Just watch. It _will_ happen."

I shook her off and didn't give her the satisfaction of a reply, but a part of me wondered if that would really happen. He did once before– albeit while inebriated – but what was really stopping him? Barbara was clearly poor company. All she did was eat and I was afraid to go back to him.

That first time, I fell hard and it hurt.

…

I swayed in the soft tune that wrapped around all of us. My head was resting below his chin. He was fit. He was bigger than Jimmy, but his hold was gentle. Neither of us spoke. It was unnecessary. We had spoken enough to be comfortable with silence.

He spun me out and pulled me back in. My back was pressed against him as we continued to sway to the music.

When the song ended, he guided me into a small booth and ordered our drinks. He had whisky, while I stayed with my humble glass of water. 'You seem to be happier today," he commented. "It's good to see."

I smiled. "I think I'm finally figuring myself out. It's just been a confusing process after what happened, but considering the circumstances, I'm doing pretty good, now. You have a lot to do with it. Thank you so much for staying with me."

He chuckled. "It's no problem, at all. Who can complain with such a beautiful woman to accompany them?"

A blush rose to settle on my cheeks.

"And if I may be so bold?" He started to lean down. The spearmint scent grew stronger and stronger and I closed my eyes.

His lips were unbelievable soft, different from Jimmy's slightly chapped ones. Being so close to him, I could feel that he felt _expensive_. There was an initial burst of fear that I quickly stomped down. He was not Dandy. He was nothing like Dandy who couldn't even suppress his psychotic urges. I couldn't allow myself to judge Morgan just because he has a bit of money.

His large hands brushed my hair back. "We don't have to do this if you're not comfortable with it." I could feel the rumble of his chest against my own. "We don't have to commit to anything."

"Like a trial?" I whispered.

"If that's what you want."

I thought about it. Maybe there was someone else out there for me, after all. Maybe Jimmy had never been the one. I had clung so tightly to him because I thought he had been the only one who could care for me.

Maybe I was wrong.

* * *

 _AUTHOR'S NOTE_

There's someone else in the picture, now! Uh-oh… I'll let you guys form your own opinions on Morgan.

Thank you **Cosmo39, HerOverYonder** , guest ( **anonymouscsifan** ) for reviewing!

 **anonymouscsifan** : I'm hoping that he'll get his things together, too. It was so heartbreaking watching him fall apart in the show. He was their mighty protector until everything just went so horribly wrong and then the end of the season… I'm dreaded and excited about writing it. Eek!

 **Cosmo39** : Thank you‼ I hope you liked this chapter, as well!

 **HerOverYonder** : I'm going to try my best to finish those random stories... I just hope I end up doing it because I know I've discontinued a lot before I started my AHS series. I'm so surprised that I've lasted so long and haven't lost inspiration, yet. It's a miracle!

Thank you as well to everyone who has favourited and followed this story.

Please leave a review if you enjoyed the chapter!


	18. Chapter 18

**CHAPTER EIGHTEEN**

He paced around, drilling down several inches with his repeated steps. Barbara watched him, silently polishing off a large turkey leg. Her wide eyes followed his every movement.

"Can you stop looking at me?" he huffed.

Her eyes darted away only momentarily before settling back on him. It hadn't been the first time he tried shaking her off, but she was persistent. Where he went, she followed. The only time he found any peace was at night when he went to sleep. He never allowed her in there. He never allowed _anyone_ in there after Madi disappeared. It had felt as much his home as it was hers, but he doubt she'd ever think that way, now.

Even though she stayed several spots over, he rarely saw her. There was always someone occupying her attention and that someone was never him.

He had also noticed Desiree whisking her away almost every night and they returned when dawn approached. He didn't know exactly where they went, but he had heard mentions of another man and it put him on edge. Madi wasn't seeing someone else, was she?

His feet went on until Elsa barked around, gathering everyone for practice. He really didn't see a point. Everyone knew exactly what they had to do. It wasn't as if they ever did anything, now. No one ever wanted to see the show. They were inches away from being run to the ground.

He transported his pacing to behind the stage where everyone tried to ignore him. They thought they were being discreet, but he knew. He also knew that he had been horrible to them, but they didn't understand how he felt.

"Don't hide from me!" he heard Desiree's sultry laughter. "I saw what the two of you were doing! Whew! It sure was getting steamy there."

Blood rose from her neck to her face. She mumbled something he couldn't quite hear, but what he did catch made his blood boil and his heart drop. She couldn't really have moved on already, could she?

"Jimmy, I'm hungry!" Barbara whined loudly, tugging at his shirt with a pout on her face. "Are we done, yet?"

He tried to shake her off, but she held on tight. "Let me go!" he huffed. He was in no mood to deal with her. "Let. _Go!_!" His hands wrenched hers away hard enough that she cried out in pain and tears began to glisten in her eyes.

"J-Jimmy…" She blinked, the tears falling down her round cheeks.

He rolled his eyes. "Look, I'm sorry, okay? But can you stop being so damn clingy?!"

She stomped her feet and stormed away.

For the first time, he realised that he had angered her. It hadn't' registered that that was possible. Barbara had always been so complacent whenever he fed her. Perhaps that was the problem. He didn't feel like feeding her anymore. The initial satisfaction of finally making someone happy had faded. All that was left was a bitter taste in his mouth. How much time had he wasted drunk and making a fool of himself?

He turned around when he knew by instinct that it was his turn and saw all the eyes on him. His gaze immediately settled on Madi who quickly looked away and mumbled something to Eve and Desiree before darting off.

His feet went to follow, but Elsa held him back. "Miss one more practise and I won't hesitate to kick you out, Ethel be damned."

His face twisted into a grimace. That was low, but it was true. He had missed his fair share of practises and it was definitely noticeable when he half stuttered his way through his speech in performances. He had never been particularly good with words, but with enough run throughs, he had been able to repeat the same words over and over again without any stumbles.

Unfortunately, when it was show time, he spotted her sitting contently beside a well-built dark-skinned man who had his hand intertwined with hers. All thoughts flew out the window and he juggled without uttering a single word because he knew if he opened his mouth, he wouldn't be spewing out anything pleasant.

When the man leaned down towards her, his blood boiled and he swore he was about to explode when a light blush was painted across her face.

As soon as he was queued off, he ran out. Elsa could shove it. He had done his part for the night. Barely anyone was going to stay for the encore, anyway.

"I hate this." He gritted his teeth, throwing one of the balls into the wall of the barn. "I hate this!" He threw the rest until they all laid scattered in the hay.

His eyes caught the glint of a familiar bottle and he immediately reached for it, downing the burning liquid in large gulps.

When he was done, he went searching for more. He drank and drank until he couldn't tell up from down, left from right. He drank until the next morning passed and the sun began to set. He passed out some time in between, but washed down the headache with another wave of alcohol.

"God damn it!" He pounding into Barbara as if she was nothing more than a barn animal and not once did she complain, not even when he spanked her raw and the red marks would turn into nasty bruises.

He vaguely heard Maggie walk in, her scathing tone piercing through his hazy mind.

"Do you think he really loves you?" she shouted. "Look at you. You're being treated nothing more than a whore for his drunken pleasure! Is that what you want? He'll use you and throw you away!"

Jimmy opened his mouth to retort that she had no right to be so bitter, but as soon as he did that, the nausea hit. He slid out, stumbled to the side, and began to vomit all the liquid he had downed in the past twenty-four hours.

"What's going on…?"

The worst had happened.

From the corner of his eyes, he saw her walk in in a white, knee-length dress. She stood at the threshold for only a short moment before turning on her heels and leaving without another word.

His head spun. "Ma – !" He wanted nothing more than to run after her, but the bile came right back up.

"Disgusting…" With that, Maggie also left. Only Barbara remained as she pulled up her knickers and smoothed down the skirt of her dress. It wasn't long before she, too, abandoned him and he was finally alone in his filth.

He really didn't know how everything had gone so wrong. Only months ago he was flying as high as a kite with the love of his life. And now, everyone hated him and he couldn't even fault them for it.

…

I sat in the front row with Morgan. I thought it was about time that he met the people who had – for better or for worse – became my family. He had only been shortly acquainted with Desiree, but she was hardly the typical woman here.

He smiled and commented on everything. We had whispered throughout the show as I spoke to him about Paul and Dell and even pointed out Jimmy to him.

Morgan raised an eyebrow at the claws and leaned down. "He must've been quite good in bed. Are you sure you won't be able to forgive him long enough for a threesome?"

My face lit up, but the image of just that swam in my head. "S-shut up!"

He chuckled, leaning back in the cheap, plastic chair. "I guess I _am_ quite content with not sharing you with anyone, right now." His thumb rubbed the back of my hand in thought.

We had settled on a noncommittal relationship, or friend with something more. Neither of us were ready for anything big, but it was nice having a distraction in each other. We hadn't done anything beyond holding hands or a peck on the cheeks or forehead. It was sweet, but I knew that that wasn't' going to be enough for me to forget about Jimmy anytime soon.

When the show ended, he departed and I returned to Eve's trailer alone while she cleaned up. I stayed there, thinking about my future. What was I going to do? I couldn't really stay in her home forever. I felt as if I was intruding. She really had no obligations to house me like this. It was small enough as it was for her tall form.

As the sun set, I decided to look around. I needed to do something with myself. Elsa had been nagging me to use my "talent" for her show, but I hadn't wanted to die over and over again. I had escaped from Dandy because of that very reason. I wasn't going to burn for anyone's amusement.

"Look at you!" I heard Maggie's shrill cry as I walked by and stopped in front of the barn. The sight was more and more appalling the longer I stared, so I quickly removed myself from the situation.

It wasn't just my half-mended heart breaking again that made me leave, the way Jimmy looked as he was half covered in his own vomit felt as if it was my fault. I knew he had been a wreck since his mother's death and perhaps even my departure – involuntary as it was – had also caused it. I couldn't keep running away from him. It was doing neither of us any good.

I needed to make things right again. We could still be friend despite everything. I couldn't just keep abandoning him in his time of need.

With decision made, I wrote a list of everything I had to do, then set off to find him. It turned out to be more difficult than I thought. I looked around all the usual places I knew him to be, but he remained elusive. Perhaps I didn't know him as well as I thought now. In that short amount of time, he had become a person I could barely recognise.

"Jimmy?" I called out for what seemed like the umpteenth time. "Jimmy, you there?"

My feet suddenly caught something and I tumbled over face first, landing on something softer than the prickly ground.

A groan made its way to my ears and I looked at what I had stumbled upon in shock. "J-Jimmy?"

He peeled his bloodshot eyes open and stared unseeingly at me for a moment before letting out another groan. "Not now…"

I scrambled to my knees, wondering if he wanted me to leave. "I – "

"Madi?!" He suddenly jolted up, slamming his forehead against mine.

We both let out a cry of pain, trying to rub away the throbbing sensation that was still bouncing in our heads. "Hi…" I awkwardly greeted him. This wasn't exactly how I planned to have our first proper talk. In fact, everything had gone horribly awry and I was already losing my courage.

"W-what are you doing here?" he stuttered, running his hands through his hair in an attempt to tame his messy curls, but he only managed to muss them up further.

I looked down. "I just…" Wanted to talk to you? Wanted to make sure you were alright? Wanted to try to help you? "I was just taking a walk." _Coward_. "Sorry, I didn't mean to fall on you. I didn't see you in the dark."

He looked around as if just realising that the sun had indeed set. "Oh…"

"Are you… alright?" That was as good as anything at this point. "I mean… You're not looking too good. I'm really sorry about your mother. I hope you know you're not alone and you don't have to hut yourself like that. It's not your fault and although I haven't known her long, I know that she wouldn't have wanted you to be like this. I can't stand seeing you in this state. I missed the old you. I – " _I love you_.

I clamped my lips shut before I could blurt out the end. Taking in a deep breath, I quickly uttered out an apology for the rambling, which was met with completely silence. 'Jimmy?" Was he angry at me? That was the last thing I wanted.

He turned his gaze to the side. "How could you even stand to look at me?" he quietly asked. "All the things I've done… You shouldn't be here. You should stay away from me!"

He abruptly got to his feet. "Stay away or I'll kill you, too!"

And then, he was gone before I could even stop him. How had things gone so wrong before it even started? I had so much planned, but it was over, now.

I fell to my haunches and sobbed into my hands. The worst thing about all this was knowing that I was still hopelessly in love with him. I could try my hardest to pretend that that wasn't the case, but seeing how broken he had become hurt more than the sun on my skin. I didn't even know what to do, but I knew that I couldn't just give up on him. He was there at my lowest and I was going to return the favour – whether he wanted it or not.

The next time I saw Morgan, I asked him for advice. He seemed to just be full of helpful information.

He patiently listened to my story before commenting. "You still love him."

I nodded solemnly at him, hoping that my feelings wouldn't affect our relationship.

"Then you have to keep trying. If you love him, you can't give up because once you do, they could be lost forever." His eyes downturned in sadness. I wondered if he still loved his wife. Ws she my Jimmy – someone I loved and hated, but could never truly let go?: "Go to him, _make_ him listen to you." He squeezed my hand. "No matter what happens, I'm here."

I gave him a small smile. "Thank you, Morgan."

He chuckled. "While you're here, let's help you unwind. You'll need a clear head."

I hummed, letting him drag me to the dance floor, swaying contently with the music.

Why couldn't I love Morgan the same way I did with Jimmy? It'd make things so much simpler. He was definitely an easy man to love and he was undeniably handsome.

As the song came to an end, he leaned down and captured my lips with his. His toned body was pressed hard against me.

"How can I have a clear head when you do things like that?" I whispered. His minty breath, slightly spiked with alcohol lingered on my mouth.

He grinned. "Maybe that was my plan all along."

He twirled me and we continued our dance until the sun was going to rise.

* * *

 _AUTHOR'S NOTE_

Is Morgan how you imagine him to be, right now?

Also, I've finally watched Crimson Peak! I hadn't expected some parts to be so blatant, but I definitely liked it! I'm a little prejudice towards Edith because I didn't really like Mia Wasikowska as Alice, so I didn't care much for her character in Crimson Peak, either. It didn't help that her outfits all looked a bit outrageous, while Lucille's were more to my taste. I also loved Thomas Sharpe, so I'm trying to think of how I would write a fanfic on it. If anyone has any suggestions, I'm open for them.

Thank you **HerOverYonder, PorcelainPuppetLady, Mystery Angle, Applejax XD** , guest ( **anonymouscsifan** ) for reviewing!

 **HerOverYonder:** I thought Morgan would bring something different to the story and it's also a bit of a parallel to Kit and Alma. He's kind of becoming the character that will cross all the boundaries of social norms in the fifties.

 **anonymouscsifan:** Ahahaha… How do you think the story will end, this time? MUAHAHAHA!

 **PorcelainPuppetLady:** Madi may do just that! Her heart might always belong to Jimmy, but… Not everyone gets what they want, especially when he might not be the best choice for her, sometimes.

 **Mystery Angle:** Thank you‼

 **Applejax XD:** He's definitely not dealing with it well! Not sure if it'll get any better for him.

Thank you as well to everyone who has favourited and followed this story.

Please leave a review if you enjoyed it!


	19. Chapter 19

**CHAPTER NINETEEN**

I woke up the next morning feeling more rested than I had in a while. Morgan was right. I couldn't give up on Jimmy. I needed to make sure he was alright. I needed him to know that he wasn't alone. Seeing him fall further and further into darkness was heartbreaking.

Getting dressed, I made sure I was fully presentable. I needed the extra boost of confidence for this.

When my feet carried me over to the familiar tent, I stopped, and took a deep breath. "Jimmy, are you there?" I was glad that my voice was steady. I could feel my heart ready to burst out of my chest with millions of questions exploding in my head.

What if he wasn't there? What if he was off doing who knows what to Barbara? I really wasn't sure if I was able to gather enough courage a third time. My heart wouldn't be able to handle it. "Jimmy – "

"Yeah… Yeah! I'm here…" I heard him shout and then heard the scrambling that proceeded afterwards. "What do you want?" He peeked his head out, but when he saw me completely covered by the blanket, he threw the tent flap open.

"Thank you," I mumbled, throwing the sheet back.

It felt like an eternity had passed since I was last here, but everything felt the same. And the scent… it was so predominantly Jimmy. From the corner of my eyes, I could see the pile of… mess tucked into the corner as if he had thought that it'd make him seem less like a slob. It was cute that he thought I'd care how disordered his tent was.

"May I?" I gestured to the chair, not wanting to seem like I was trying to take over by sitting on the bed.

He ran his hand through his hair, making his messy curls fly out towards every angle. "Go ahead…"

I delicately sat down, feeling like a stranger. "Look, Jimmy, about yesterday – "

He mumbled something under his breath.

"Sorry?" I frowned at him.

"I said… I'm sorry." He let out a long sigh and plopped down on to the mattress. His eyes closed and he looked as if he was going to pass out at any moment.

I took the time to really look at him. His eyes had been bloodshot with dark bags contradicting the red. The head of curls I had loved so much looked matte and greasy. When he was near, I could smell a certain stench on him that was overwhelmingly unpleasant. He looked absolutely horrible.

"Jimmy, look at me." I watched him tiredly open his eyelids back up. "I'm not here for an apology. I just want to talk. I just want to know that you're alright."

He shook his head. 'Why? Why do you want to know? Why do you even care?"

"Because I do and I always will care for you," I told him. "It's not something I can just control, but even if I could, I'd still care. You're…" My voice cracked. "You're someone really special to me, even after everything that happened. Please, don't shut me out."

He said nothing. His eyes were downcast and he looked to be on the verge of tears, but I wasn't much better. We were both just a pair of broken people, weren't we?

I got up from the chair and knelt in front of him, peering into his teary chocolate orbs. "Talk to me. Let me help you because… because I'm afraid to lose you." I took his hand into mine and gave it a squeeze. "I promise that I won't run away again. If nothing else, let me be your friend."

He looked so defeated as he sighed. "I don't want to be friends, Madi… You know I don't. I want things to be right between us, but I don't know how! When I look at you, all I want to do is throw you on to my bed and fuck you. I want you to be mine, again. I want things to be the way they were before, but it won't ever be like that again, will it? I've lost you… I've lost you…"

The tears fell freely, dropping on to our clasped hands. "I'm still here, Jimmy. I'll always be here for you."

I stretched up and pecked him on the cheeks. "Maybe we can work up to it."

"I haven't lost you forever?" He gave me a hopeful look.

I shook my head with a soft smile. "No, I'm here. Always."

He started to smile back, but a frown quickly brought it back down. "But you're his now, aren't you? There's already someone better. I knew that you were too good for me."

"Morgan and I are… complicated."

He snorted and I could feel him closing up, again.

"No, listen to me." I turned his head back to look at me. "We're not exactly a couple. We… We're confidantes with… benefits? And…" I flushed, recalling Morgan's suggestion. 'And he even suggested a threesome, but I don't think I'm up to it. I mean – " At his bewildered look, I quickly changed the subject. "We're noncommittal! Please, say something…"

His face lit up in red, similar to how I had been when I first heard it from Morgan. "I'm not sharing you if I had you, again," he mumbled. Something in his tone changed. He sounded less depressed and his mind appeared to be elsewhere.

I giggled. "Good, because I don't like sharing either and his suggestions were rather… suggestive towards you, as well."

"Madi, hold still." He leaned in. "Just one more time and then, I'll be good. I'll agree to everything you say."

I nodded with wide eyes. My heart was pounding in my chest. His arms hoist me into his lap and he drew closer and closer until his lips were on mine. I was like putty against him. All the emotions I Had tried so desperately to suppress swarmed me. The heat bloomed from his lips and it really felt as if fireworks were raging in my body.

How could this be the last time?

My hands clung tightly on to his shirt.

This _couldn't_ be the last time. I'd be fooling myself if I ever thought I'd be able to live a life without him, but I needed time.

We broke apart. Panting heavily, I felt as if I was going to pass out. I wanted to grab him and pull him back and never let him go, but I couldn't. I was scared. I didn't want to be hurt, again.

"I'm sorry, Madi," he breathed. "I need you to know that if I was in my right mind, I would never have done it. You're the only one I can love. Anything you want, I'll do it. I'll do anything to have you back."

I closed my eyes, resting my head on his shoulder. "And Barbara?"

"I'll never touch her, again," he promised. "She was there when I needed to fill the voice, but nothing worked."

"Maggie?" I whispered her name as if it was tabooed.

"That was the biggest mistake of my life," he confessed. "Even befriending her… I never what would happen to us because of it."

I sighed. "I want us to talk, again. Can we just start over as friends? I feel like we have to get to know each other, again." It felt like forever since I last touched him and although it still felt right for us to be so close together, I knew he had changed and I did, too. "I'll introduce you to Morgan. I swear he's a good man. He's really helped me find myself."

"And you want me to take him up on his offer?" he whispered into my ears.

My face flushed and I quickly stood up, away from him – away from the heat he was emanating. "Shut up, Jimmy."

His lips quirked up. The smile shipped away at the fatigue that seemed to have almost consumed him.

"Anyway. First thing's first." I went around the tent, grabbing empty bottles, full bottles, half-full bottles, all the bottles. "These are going. No complaints. We need to get rid of the root of the problem and then, you need to get rid of that belly." The beer had done some work on his body and it was _really_ starting to show.

He patted his stomach and wrinkled his nose. 'Yeah. I feel pretty disgusting." He let out a deep breath. "I've let myself go, haven't I?"

I smiled encouragingly at him. "We'll work it out."

He nodded solemnly at me.

"Then I'll… I'll see you later," I told him.

When I left, I tried to calm my racing heart. I was glad that the talk went well considering he wouldn't even speak to me last time. He really seemed to want to change, but I had held on to hope before an it didn't fare well for me.

Even looked at me with concern when I walked into her trailer. "Did something happen?"

I shrugged. "I don't know… I finally had a proper talk with Jimmy." I told her what happened and she seemed relieved.

"I don't know how to help him," she sighed. "After you left and Ethel died, it was as if he completely disappeared. None of us could snap him out of it. You should've heard how he yelled at Esmeralda."

I pursed my lips and tied to push away the hate that rose whenever I thought of the self-proclaimed fortune teller. It served her right after what she did to us.

…

"Come on." I tugged on Jimmy's hand. 'You said it'd be alright to go see Morgan." It had been a few weeks and each day, he put up a valiant fight, but I wasn't going to give in this time. Besides, maybe Morgan could help Jimmy.

He grumbled incoherently back at me, but swung his leg around his motorcycle. "Get on and hold on tight."

…

Jimmy wouldn't admit it to anyone, but having her pressed so closely against his back made it difficult to concentrate on the road. If he really tried, eh could probably feel her heart fluttering – or so he hoped.

That was the exact reason why he hadn't wanted to talk to her. He knew it would give him hope and that could be painful. "Alright. Let go, now. We're here."

He regret having to tell her because she immediately moved away and he wished that he could pull her back into his arms, but he knew that that could do more harm than good.

He felt as if he was teetering on the edge of a cliff. At any moment, he was going to fall.

"Jimmy?" She snapped him out of his thoughts.

"Coming," he replied, getting off his motorcycle. He really didn't want to meet this Morgan. He was content with believing that the other man was the most detestable person on Earth. He didn't want to find out that her Morgan was actually a decent human being and that Madi could really end up staying with him.

When he entered the club, he instantly spotted the dark-skinned man whose very presence seemed to dominate the entire room. It was rare for someone of his colour to be accepted anywhere, but somehow, no one seemed to care.

"Morgan." He watched Madi walk over to the man and hug him. His heart was seized with jealousy. At one point, she had done the same for him, but not anymore. 'This is Jimmy." She turned to him with a beaming smile. 'Jimmy, this is Morgan."

"It's good to finally meet you properly." Morgan's voice was a low rumble and when he stood up, Jimmy could feel the difference in height.

Jimmy, by no means, was short, but before Morgan, he felt oddly dwarfed. He tried his hardest not to make anymore comparisons of all the things that Morgan seemed to be better than him in physical looks. "You, too," he mumbled back, resisting the urge to wrench his hand away from Morgan's firm handshake – those _normal_ hands. He almost wished that the other man would just jump away and call him a freak, but he didn't.

Morgan was pleasant and well mannered. He sounded as if he had gone to school for many years and no matter what Jimmy threw at him, it was battered away gracefully. The more he spoke to the tall, intimidating man, the more his fears came to fruition.

Morgan was perfect.

How could lobster boy compare to that?

"Hold on, I need to go to the washroom. I'll be right back." Madi got up and shuffled over to the restroom, leaving him to fend on his own.

"So should I be worried?" Morgan asked him. Those dark eyes were like the abyss. They went on forever, sucking in everything that it set its gaze on. He must've noticed the glares Jimmy had been sending him all night.

The dirty blonde man tried not to childishly turn his head and stomp away, but he was better than that. He was going to be better than that for Madi. "Should you?" he, instead, replied.

Morgan leaned back. "Madison is important to me. I don't want her to come crying again when you break her heart. If I see it one more time, I _will_ make sure it can never happen again."

Jimmy suppressed the sudden fear that hit him. He could practically see the killing intent behind the words. Any doubts that this man was dangerous flew out the window. "Same to you." He gritted his teeth. "Who the Hell are you, anyway? How do I know that you're not using her for whatever the fuck you have planned?"

"I can assure you that that is the last thing on my mind," Morgan retorted.

"Hey." Madi slid back into the booth with a smile on her face. 'You guys haven't killed each other, yet. I'll take that as a good sign."

Jimmy narrowed his eyes when Morgan pulled her against him. He felt the anger rise as she contently settled into the other man's arms as if it was something she was used to.

He was seconds from smashing his glass of coke into the bastard's head, but he couldn't. That would _defintiely_ put him on Madi's bad side. In fact, if it ever happened, she'd most likely never speak to him, again. He couldn't let that happen.

When his eyes met Morgan's, he saw a glint of mischief and he could see the hand travel lower down her waist. They remained eye contact even when Madi looked at them curiously and then, Jimmy saw Morgan's eyes darken. He felt a tug in his pants and he quickly looked away. He had never experienced anything like this before, nor had he ever been put in a position to even ponder something so scandalous – so abnormal.

"Jimmy, are you alright?" he heard Madi softly ask him.

Swallowing hard, he finally ripped himself away from the dark man's eyes. "I'm… fine…" he mumbled. What was all that about? He couldn't actually be contemplating it, could he? "I think I really need to think about all this," he told them.

Madi got up when he made to leave. "Jimmy, I really want this to work. I don't want things to be awkward between us or with Morgan. You're both precious to me."

He snatched her up and held her as long as she allowed him. "I know. I'm trying. It… It just needs to sink in. I told you I'd do anything to have you back and I intend to keep my promise."

Her hands tightened on his shirt. "But I don't want you to be uncomfortable. I don't want to force you to do this."

"You're not." He turned back to Morgan who seemed to blend into the darkness of the room. He looked to be enjoying the scene and Jimmy wasn't sure what to think of it.

* * *

 _AUTHOR'S NOTE_

I'm feeling so out of it right now that I can't even think of what to type here. My mind and emotions are just all over the place and I don't even know why.

Thank you **Candyluver2121, HerOverYonder** , guests ( **anonymouscsifan, AntsnPants, Guest** ) for reviewing!

 **Candyluver2121** : I've read a couple of Thomas Sharpe fanfiction since watching the movie and I still can't seem to decide how I'm going to write the story, yet. There's so much I want to do with it, but none of the ideas are meshing, right now.

 **HerOverYonder** : Haha! Yes, at least Jimmy is still alive! I'm so glad you like Morgan. Be prepared for more Morgan!

 **anonymouscsifan** : I saw someone on Youtube with a similar AHS shirt and I think I might've actually seen the tank top or t-shirt version of it somewhere in a Hot Topic… Perhaps in the United States and I've regret not buying it ever since! I'm so jealous of you, right now! I swear I'll put Maggie down… eventually… Maybe I shouldn't have spoiled that part… Hmm… To be honest, I didn't care much for the twins, so the likelihood of him being with them is probably less likely than him with Maggie (and you know how much I hate her, but at least she died in the show and somehow that made it all better for me. Oops!)

 **AntsnPants:** Jimmy's going to try really hard for Madi! He always does, but… things just seem to go wrong. Sometimes it's something out of his control; other times, he just doesn't have the best decisions.

 **Guest** : Thank you so much! I'm always worried that they're out of character and unrealistic, but I'm glad it's been fine so far.

Thank you as well to everyone who has favourited and followed this story!

Please leave a review if you enjoyed this!


	20. Chapter 20

**CHAPTER TWENTY**

I went back with Jimmy after their first visit. Something had shook him and I wanted to make sure he was alright. His emotional state lately had been sketchy at best and I really hoped that I hadn't made it worse by pushing him out of his comfort zone.

When I asked him again about it, he casually brushed it off, but I could see that there was a lot on his mind.

Since he didn't want to talk about it, I ranted to Eve who listened quietly, interjecting when appropriate. Talking to her had always helped me. She was good at organising my thoughts and ideas without taking sides.

"I really want this to work and I know that he does, too. I'm just… afraid I feel as if I had lived my entire life in fear." I shook my head. "And I know he's really trying." There were just a lot of obstacles between us.

…

Jimmy slept on it. He slept many nights with Madi in his head and sometimes, _he_ was there and it frightened him to no end. Not only was it heavily frowned upon to be involved with a black person, it was even worse that they were both men and then, there was Madi who was always between them being the mediator.

He sighed, ready to pull all his hair out. The urge to drown himself in alcohol nagged at him, but he pushed it aside. That was the last thing he needed – his mind turned to mush and saying something he didn't mean.

"Jimmy, get over here!" Elsa's raspy voice beckoned him over with her tent. He looked warily back at her. If it was about Madi again, she was wasting her breath. He was never going to let her die for anyone's amusement.

Nonetheless, he obediently shuffled his feet towards the blonde woman. "What is it, Elsa?" he grumbled.

She blew a ring of smoke into his face, knowing full well of his new pet peeve. "You really need to step up your game, my body. Not only have you gained weight, caused chaos in my cabinet, but you haven't been pulling that new weight. I recall a promise to me when your little firebird first arrived here."

He swallowed. The garage job had been all but forgotten after everything that had happened. He doubt that he would be hired again there after ditching the first shift. "I'll go looking, again. Give me a couple of days. I can do it. I did it before."

She raised an eyebrow at him. "I've taken things into my own hands in the mean time. You're booked up on Thursday." She handed him a piece of paper.

There was nothing there but an address and a name. He knew exactly what that meant.

"Elsa, I'm not doing this anymore. I told you. I promised Madi that – "

"Don't you think your promise to me takes precedence? I've known you since you were in your diapers, pissing and drooling everywhere. I treated you like you were my own. Are you telling me not that the slip of a girl who you barely know is more important?" She stared him down until he looked away.

He knew that he owed a lot to Elsa, but it would be a lie if he said she took priority. With his mother gone, Madi was the most important thing in the world. "I'll talk to her," he said, hoping that it'd give him time to think of an excuse to deny the gig.

"You're doing it, Jimmy. I know your mother would've wanted you to do this," were the parting words that made him clench his jaw in irritation.

Elsa always played dirty.

…

It didn't take him long to find his tiny brunette. She was rolled up in Eve's trailer, breathing softly as she slept on even as he and the Amazon spoke.

"Hurt her and I'll hurt you, go it?' she half-jokingly said.

He nodded. He knew that they had gotten very close for the days. Besides, hurting her was the last thing he wanted.

When Eve left, he sat down on the floor beside her. He still remembered the time when he woke up to that face. If only he could turn back time. He'd do anything. _Anything_.

Five minutes was all he lasted before he reached out a hand to gently touched her face. He missed this so much, to be able to touch her whenever he wanted.

She hummed and her eyes fluttered open. They gazed dreamily at him, a smile on her face. He remembered when she came back that day and thought everything was a dream. That had been the happiest moment of his life, when his feelings were finally realised and reciprocated. It seemed so long ago, now.

"Jimmy, what are you doing here?" she asked him, the haziness in her eyes faded and she slowly sat up. His hand fell back into his lap.

He took in a deep breath. "Elsa hasn't been very happy with me. Actually, I don't think anyone's happy with me, right now, but… She booked me up for another gig. I'll try to find another job before then to get out of it, but… I just wanted you to know that it's not what I want. I hate doing it. I – "

She took his hand and smiled encouragingly at him. "It's okay, Jimmy Do what you have to do. I… I won't be angry. It's not as if I have any sat in the matter, right now." She looked down. The words she hadn't said was clear on her face.

"Madi, I – "

"I promise, Jimmy. I won't be angry. I understand that none of this has been easy for you." Her voice cracked. "I'm sorry I haven't been there when you needed me. I really want this to work between us, too." Tears began to well up in her eyes.

He swallowed hard. He didn't want to see her cry, but the swell of his heart made it difficult for him to feel anything but elation. "We'll work this out." He pulled her against his chest and kissed the top of her head. "I love you, Madi." He was sure that she could hear his heart pounding in his chest.

He stayed there until Eve came back in the evening and whisked her away from him. That had turned out surprisingly well. He really thought that Madi was going to be angry at him, but… there was a part of him that wished she had gotten upset – jealous. He didn't know if she was more understanding with the situation or if she was really starting to give up on him.

"Hey, Jimmy!" Paul called him over to where he was hanging out with Penny. Ever since he remained sober, his friends quickly forgave him for his rude misdemeanors. He really had been taking them for granted, all this time. "How are you, mate?"

He plopped down beside them. "Not bad… Could be worse. Do you know anywhere that's hiring?"

Paul shrugged. "Haven't been keeping my eyes on it. Why? Lookin' for a job, again?" From the look on Paul's face, he was also thinking of what happened the last time he did that.

"I have to," he told them. "Elsa's got my booked up and I can't do it anymore."

"Tough luck…" Paul mumbled.

Penny looked uncertainly at him. "I saw that place… Briarcliff Manor. They're hiring, but it's where all those crazy people live."

"I'll check it out. Thanks, Penny."

She smiled at him. It had been the first time they had a decent conversation together. Ever since she joined, Jimmy had been in a drunken rage of sex, alcohol, and violence. She liked the Jimmy in front of her, now. He was a little confused and rough around the edges, but he was actually pretty easy to talk to.

They casually talked chatted late into the night until he saw Madi hop off Dell's truck with Desiree and Eve. She had gone to see Morgan, again. He wished that he could be a bigger person and not mind their semi-intimate interactions, but that was impossible. Every part of him thought of Madi as his.

When he walked over, he saw Dell shoot him a look and he shrugged in reply. "Desiree. Eve." They grinned back at him and he made his way over to her. "Madi."

She looked up at him through thick, long lashes. "Jimmy!" Her pink lips curled into a beautiful smile that made his heart flutter. "How are you?"

"I'm good," he mumbled, fighting the urge to touch her. Was it too soon? Thankfully, she decided for him when she took his hand.

"Don't wait up for me!" she told Eve, leading them towards the woods. "Come on, Jimmy!"

"Where are we going?" He glanced at the sky. They still had time left before the sun came up.

"Don't know. Anywhere. Everywhere!" She seemed so carefree as she let go of his hand and twirled around. Her hair was slightly messy from the hours at the club.

He smiled and watched as she nearly spun into a tree. "Are you drunk?" he asked, raising an eyebrow at her in mock outrage. It was

She flushed. "No! I'm just really happy, today." She stopped and smiled brightly at him. The sun may be her enemy, but it didn't matter, she shone brighter than anything he knew.

"And what's got you in such a good mood?" he inquired.

"Do I really need a reason?" She waited until he was beside her and took his hands. "I'm just happy."

Still not understanding her, he shook his head and decided that the reason didn't matter. He was just glad that she was finally happy.

They danced around in the woods, making newer and happier memories there. It was perfect.

…

I had come back from hanging out with Morgan feeling like a new person. He had divulged some information that had taken me by surprise at first, but gave me an offer I found difficult to refuse.

After months of getting to know him, he finally confessed that he owned the club. He was wary of how others would think when they knew a black man owned such a successful establishment. Success could quickly plummet into failure in a blink of an eye. I was honoured that he had let his guard down for me and then, he suggested that I worked there in the evening and he'd be able to drive me back before the sun came up.

How could I possibly say no? Only hours before, Jimmy told me how Elsa was bugging him about going back to working as a… as a…

Well, it was all solved, now! I didn't need him to support me and I was working somewhere where I knew I was going to be safe.

When I was home, I immediately spotted Jimmy sitting with Paul and Penny. My cheery mood heightened as he walked over and I quickly snatched him away before anyone could interrupt us. HE was going to be the first person I was going to tell and I was bursting to tell him, but I held on to keep him in suspense.

Finally, when I spotted the river, I plopped down, patting the spot beside me. The moon shone so brightly here.

"Are you going to tell me, now?" he asked, again. I could hear him becoming impatient, but his smile was almost as wide as mine.

"So… I was talking to Morgan today and how I've been feeling so idly all the time. All I do is eat, sleep, and walk around. He told me that he was looking for a replacement waitress and of course, I said yes! I – " I stopped when I saw him face darken. "I…" I swallowed. "Aren't you happy for me? I thought that this would be perfect for us. I can give half my salary to Elsa and she won't be nagging you anymore."

Doubt filled me. This wasn't the reaction I was anticipating. The excited energy had quickly disappeared. In fact, he seemed quite upset. "Jimmy, talk to me."

He swallowed. "I – I… You didn't have to do this," he croaked out.

I shook my head. "I _wanted_ to do it. I need some normality in my life. I want to know what it's like to live like I'm not actually about to die at any moment and Morgan's very flexible with his hours. There isn't anywhere else I'd rather work at. Surely, you'd agree that if it was here, Elsa would just put me under the sun for a few dollars!"

"I know," he grumbled. "I guess I Just don't want to see all those men looking and touching you."  
I raised an eyebrow at him. "There won't be any touching involved," I reassured him. Who did he think I was? "Morgan – "

"You know my relationship with him," I said. "IT won't get too far unless we're both consensual, but I also want us to work, so once I'm settled down with the job, I'm going to re-evaluate everything. Sometimes, I just feel so uncertain. I don't want to be hurt again and I know that last time, you didn't have much choice, but…" I looked down. "It hurt a lot, Jimmy." Seeing him with Barbara hadn't helped one bit.

"To be honest, I was going to confront you the night after, but then _he_ found me." I bit my lips, remembering the endless days of torture. "I know I shouldn't have ran off when I knew he was still on the loose somewhere. I just hadn't expected him to be right there waiting for me."

He clenched his hands. 'I'm sorry, Madi. I should've been there to protect you. Instead, I was – "

Suddenly, I leaned forward and kissed him. I revelled at how his eyes widened and how his mouth fell into a gasp that I consumed. "I know. I want us to move on from that night."

"Okay," he breathed.

In the end, he really had no choice in the matter. I was going to work at Morgan's club and he was going to have his last gig.

We stayed by the river until the sun began to peek from the top of the trees. We quickly ran as fast as we could back to camp, laughing and screaming as if we were playing a game of chase. He held on tightly to my hand, dragging me along, helping me past the gnarly tree roots.

I had no time to stop at Eve's trailer, so the two of us flew into his tent and collapsed on to the floor, breathing heavily and still giddy from the adrenaline.

"We'll be alright, Jimmy," I whispered to him once my heart didn't feel as if it was going to explode out of my chest.

He turned to me. "Yeah. We'll be okay."

We fell asleep on the floor with our hands still clasp and our shoulders touching.

…

The next morning, I felt him get up and peck my forehead. A smile quirked my lips, but I was still too tired to open my eyes, so I allowed sleep to claw me back in.

When I next woke up, the sun was beginning to set. I travelled through the shadows to where Elsa was speaking to Mr. Hollywood. I knew that he somehow had a hand on sabotaging my relationship with Jimmy. He was too close to Maggie. The two of them were always quietly speaking to each other. Everything about them was just suspicious.

"Elsa, may I speak to you in private?" I asked, feeling his leer burning a hole into my right cheek.

She waved Stanley away who bowed his head and smirked at her. As long as it had nothing to do with my friends and me, I really didn't want to know what they were talking about. I didn't need it to bring me down.

"Elsa, I want to make a deal with you," I started.

She immediately gave me a skeptical look. "Do you really think you have something to offer me?"

"Money," I blurted out, knowing that that would catch her attention. "I found a job nearby and I'm willing to give you half of my salary as long as Jimmy doesn't have to do his side jobs anymore."

She gave me a lazy smirk. "And you think you can earn more than him? Those ladies pay him handsomely for his… services."

"I assure you that it'll be equal or even a little more to that and it's going to be a consistent payment."

I knew I had her then.

"Fine, but he's going to finish up tomorrow's plan. It's too late to cancel them, now."

I nodded. I hadn't expected it any other way.

* * *

 _AUTHOR'S NOTE_

The plot is slowly moving along… Slowly… At a snail's pace… And I think I may include another subplot later. This story is really just getting out of hand. Do you guys enjoy longer stories or do you prefer it getting straight through the canon plot?

Thank you **Cosmo39** and guest ( **anonymouscsifan** ) for reviewing!

 **anonymouscsifan** : Loki is definitely my favourite villain as well. Loki is love. I've watched the Night Manager as well. It's a little slow, but Tom Hiddleston as Jonathon Pine is great. I spent most of my time just shamelessly ogling at him. I've never heard of Team Loki shirts, but I do have my Funko Pop! Tee of Loki. I'm hoping for a lot of Loki merchandise to appear once Ragnorak comes out. I once saw a Loki dress, but I think it was either in an extra small or small and I'm a medium, so it didn't fit and I was so upset. It was in the United States, too, so I couldn't just go back to it whenever I wanted in case I changed my mind. Eventually… I'll get a Loki dress.

 **Cosmo39** : I'm most likely going to do a story on Crimson Peak! It'll probably be a one-shot… But I said that about my Alien story and look what's happened to that, now…

Thank you as well to everyone who has favourited and followed this story.

Please leave a review if you enjoyed this!


	21. Chapter 21

**CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE**

I started my first shift at the bar and it went wonderfully. Morgan showed me around all the employee areas and presented me with a uniform that made me shake my head. "Really?" I sighed in exasperation.

The clothing resembled that of a maid's uniform, but with longer hem lines. It brushed just below my knees and swished around my legs as I walked. The top hung on tightly, making my very average figure seem more curvaceous.

"It is perfectly decent," he chuckled, enjoying how I was tugging uncertainly at the skirt.

"Fine…" I conceded. It really wasn't that bad. In fact, it was actually pretty cute. I just hoped that Jimmy didn't seem me in it. He would throw a fit.

"If anyone gives you trouble, come to me," he told me. "No one disrespects anyone in my club, you got it?"

I nodded. "Thanks, Morgan." I hugged him, feeling his large hands rest at the small of my back.

"Now, go get me some business," he teased.

I whacked his chest, not even feeling him flinch, but there was a faint throb in my hand. He was built like a brick wall.

Surprisingly, the night went smoothly. Everyone treated me with more respect than I recalled them treating anyone else, but the looks from Morgan may have been the reason.

It was also great seeing all the trips from the patrons. By the time I was home, I was riding high. I had already put aside the money for Elsa. There was still a decent amount for myself and I already knew what I was going to do with it.

"Jimmy?" I whispered, sticking my head into his tent. It was pitch-black, but I could see his form nearly eagle spread on the bed. "Jimmy…!"

When he didn't respond, l crept in. Normally, I'd wait until he was awake, but I was too excited, this time. I was never going to find sleep without telling him first.

I stood beside him for only a moment longer before I pounced.

He was quickly startled awake. His limbs flailed everywhere until he finally opened his eyes to see me grinning back at him. His body went limp and he let out a groan. "What's going on?"

"Work is fun!" I exclaimed, practically bouncing in excitement. "I can't wait until tomorrow!"

His eyes clenched closed and a gasp left his lips. "S-stop…" His hands held on to my hips, stilling me in place.

"Don't do that," he mumbled.

It wasn't until he shifted his pelvis away did I feel the bulge brush against me. My face immediately lit up and I tried to move away, but he kept me in place. "Jimmy…"

When his eyes opened, they were dark with desire. "Please, Madi." I couldn't tell if he wanted me to get off or for me to help relieve him.

I swallowed, gently cupping his face before leaning down, pressing my lips against his. A sigh left his as he deepened the contact. His hands moved to my waist, pushing me flat against his body.

We finally broke away, breathing heavily. 'I love you, Madi."

My lips trembled and all I could do was kiss him, again. I had tried so hard to keep these feelings at bay because I was still afraid of being hurt, but they were so overwhelming. It was difficult to think when my every though led to him. "I love you, too," I mumbled, laying my head on his chest. His heart was racing and I knew mine was, too.

We wiggled in bed until I was tucked underneath his chin beneath the covers. I missed this so much.

Slowly, my eyes fluttered closed and a smile remained on my face even as I slumbered.

…

The next morning, I felt him trying to slide out from under me, but I held on tight. It was too early for him to leave. I wasn't ready to let him go, yet.

"Madi, I have to go to work. This will be the last one, I promise," he whispered to me, kissing my temple.

"Don't go," I whined back. My eyes remained closed.

"I'm all yours after today. I promise."

Knowing that neither one of us had much of a choice, I let him go. "I love you."

"'Love you, too." With that, he was gone.

I fell back asleep, nuzzling his pillow and imagining that he was still with me. Sleep came quickly. I managed to become oblivious to the world until he came back, looking happier than I had ever seen him.

"Feels like a huge weight has been lifted off me." He grinned.

I smiled back, loving how his eyes seemed just a little brighter. "I'm glad you're not doing it anymore." I stretched my limbs, hearing them pop and sighing contently. "I'll be back. I need to give this to Elsa."

I grabbed the small pouch I had left on the table and jingled it happily. "I feel rich, Jimmy! Like I could buy the world if I wanted to."

He snorted. "Come here." He extended his arms out to me. I obligingly hugged him. 'Are we…"

"Do you want to?" I asked him.

He nodded, eagerly. "I don't want to let you go, anymore."

"Then, yes." I really thought this was going to work out. Everything was going so smoothly. What could possibly go wrong?

Not long after I finally made it to Elsa, I got ready for work. Jimmy took one look at my uniform and his face lip up red. "You're wearing _that_ to work?" he gritted his teeth.

I gave him a teasing twirl. "Isn't it cute?"

"It…" He swallowed.

I kissed him. "No one's allowed to touch me there. Don't worry. Morgan will take care of me."

"That's what I'm afraid of," he muttered.

"I'll tell Morgan about us and we'll go from there, alright?" I told him. I knew my boss was going to understand. He had been clear that what we had was flexible.

"Okay…" he mumbled with a sigh. "Come back, soon."

I nodded and heard the car bonk from just beyond the fencing. He was here and he probably saw us together. "I'll see you, later. I love you."

"'Love you, too."

I gave him one last grin and ran to the sleek, black car waiting for me. When I slid in, I was immediately given a knowing look. "Don't look at me like that," I half-heartedly scolded him. It was ruined by a content sigh in my voice.

He chuckled. "You two looked cozy there. Should I assume that it's off between us or is he interested in a threesome? I'm still open for that."

I looked away, my face bright red. "S-shut up!" There was a part of me that was very curious, but I knew that Jimmy wasn't up to sharing and quite frankly, I wasn't either. By the way Morgan looked at Jimmy, I knew he was interested in more than just me. He had also verbally expressed it several times before. The worst time was when Jimmy met him at the club. It took everything I had to not melt into a puddle of embarrassment.

We eventually arrived to work, but not before he planted all those images into my head. What would mother say if she knew what I had gotten myself into?

Thankfully, work went by quickly. I even managed to get to know some of the regulars who were all very kind, albeit a little drunk. Their rambles were full of nonsense and laughter.

I found myself enjoying their delight and in doing so, they tipped me well. It was a win-win situation for me.

"Ready to go home?" Morgan chuckled, standing behind me, while I wiped down the table.

I looked at the window and saw the sky turning brighter. I hadn't realised how late it had gotten. "I'll just finish up here and put the things away."

"Don't worry about it. Let Christa handle it. If you do everything, I'll be paying them for doing nothing." He took the cloth away from me and threw it back on the table.

"Fine." I pouted. I never knew work could be so fun. To finally have a purpose – to contribute to society. It was great!

"Get into the car before the sun comes up." I had eventually told him about my affliction when he became increasingly suspicious of my strict time management when it came to the sun. With how much he helped me, I didn't think it was fair to keep that secret from him. He had taken it in strides and joked that he thought I was a vampire. It quickly defused the anxiety I had built up and the rest of the night went by smoothly.

When we arrived at camp, the cars parked in front of the fence made me freeze. They were police cars, but what happened? Who had called them?

I slide out of the car and ran towards the circle of friends. "Eve? Eve, what's going on?" She had been the easiest to spot. Her eyes were filled with confusion and despair.

"Let. Me. Go!" a muffled growl caught my attention.

I turned and saw Jimmy pressed into the ground by two policemen. "Stop! What are you doing?!" I cried, trying to get away from the man who was blocking my path. "Jimmy? Jimmy!" I watched helplessly as he was cuffed and being taken away from me.

He turned his head, staring into my eyes. "I love you, Madi. I Swear I didn't do it. I swear I'm innocent!"

And then, he was gone.

"JIMMY!" I shouted for him, but it was too late. I fell to my knees and the rest of the policemen departed, leaving behind a devastated, broken family. "Why…?"

Morgan knelt beside me and pulled me into his arms as I cried. The tears fell profusely, but I could still hear the rest of them talking.

"Do you think he really did it?" Paul asked. I couldn't even believe that he was doubting Jimmy.

"No," Eve replied. "Jimmy would never kill those women. He told me how happy he was to finally leave that job behind. This was his last one. It doesn't make any sense for him to throw it all away, now."

Kill? Jimmy killed someone? No, Eve didn't think that it was him and I believed her. I also believed in him. "He wouldn't do something like that," I mumbled into Morgan's dress shirt.

"I know," he replied, tightening his grip. "I'll call around and find him a lawyer."

I swallowed the sob that was threatening to come back out. "Thank you. D-do you think you can drive me over to see him?"

He nodded. "Of course. Whenever he's allowed visitors, I'll bring you there."

How could this always happen to us? Whenever things were beginning to look up, it'd all go to Hell. Could we ever find happiness together or was this just fate telling us that it was not meant to be?

"Come on, let's get you to bed," I heard Eve quietly say to me.

I looked at her with teary eyes. "Can we go to Jimmy's?" I wanted to pretend, if only for one more night, that everything was still alright because I knew that this was going to be an uphill battle.

…

 _"Follow me," I heard him call out to me from within the darkness. His voice sounded so close, but I couldn't see him. In fact, I really couldn't see much at all. I was walking around blind. "Madi, come here."_

 _I slowly made my way towards where I thought his voice was coming from. It was difficult. Every once in a while, it'd sound as if it was hitting me from every direction. "Ta – Jimmy, where are you?" I stopped in my tracks. Why did a different name appear in my mind, first?_

 _When I tried to grasp that name, I couldn't find it. It had been there for only a fleeting moment._

 _"Over here!"_

 _He was coming from the right, now._

 _"I'm coming. Can you stop moving?" He had to be moving further and further away. It felt as if I had been walking for a while. I_ _had_ _to have reached him by now. "Jimmy?"_

 _"Here."_

 _Suddenly, he was so close that I could feel his breath on my ear. I turned to him, but there was no one there. "Stop playing around! This isn't funny!" I was tired of playing chase. "Where are you?!"_

 _"Right here, Madi." This time, I knew I could feel him. I turned into his arms and gasped when his body hit mine._

 _He looked at me with a smile on his face, but it was different from what I was used to. It didn't hold the same warmth that made my heart race. Instead, the smile only amplified the darkness in his eyes. It was unnerving._

 _"A-are you alright?" I swallowed, staring widely at him as if I was waiting for an extra eye to suddenly pop out of his forehead or if his face suddenly melt off and he wasn't Jimmy, at all._

 _"Of course," he purred. His body was pressed against mine, but it didn't feel right. He was cold. "Madi… My Madi." He sighed heavily, holding on so tightly that it was becoming painful._

 _"Jimmy, wait…" I squirmed around. 'Let go. Let go!" I pushed him away, staring at the man in front of me in horror._

 _His curls were shadowing his eyes. The darkness around him shifted as if it had a life of its own. The tendrils weaved and crawled along his body. "Don't you love me?" he whispered. His voice was soft, but it was booming in my head._

 _"I…" Of course, I loved him. I loved him if he was my Jimmy, but the man in front of me couldn't possibly be him. He was an imposter!_

 _"DON'T YOU?!" His eyes flared red and I was suddenly swept off my feet, flying and landing heavily some distance away._

 _I tried to get back on my feet, but it was as if something was holding me down. The unseen chains were heavy and wound tightly around my limbs._

 _The closer he got, the more his body seemed to fade and dissolve into the darkness. "What do you want from me?" I could do nothing as his shadows reached me. It was darker than the surrounding._

 _When only the red eyes still peeked through, realisation hit me. This was the creature from Dandy's place. It stopped me when I tried to take my own life, but that only further confused me. If he didn't want me dead, then what_ _did_ _he want? Why was he following me, stealing Jimmy's face?_

 _As he materialised back into a humanoid form, eh looked a little different. The curls were a little longer, but he was still Jimmy. He laid down on top of me, resting his head on my chest. "They tried to take you away from me," he mumbled. "But you're mine."_

 _"Who? W-who tried to – "_

 _"That fuckin' two-faced fucker!" he screamed, nearly giving me a heart attack. "I nearly ripped them in two. I would've… I should've… Fuckin' bastard!"_

 _Two-face… Did he mean Edward Mordrake? Could that be the reason I was left alone that night? HE didn't even consider me because this… this spirit threatened him?_

 _"I don't understand… Why does it matter to you?" I asked, my head was already hurting from trying to make sense of this irrational being._

 _"Because you're mine," he repeated like a child, clinging on to me._

 _And as I relaxed, I felt my confines fade. My hand hesitantly reached for his hair, gently stroking the curls. A low rumble vibrated through my body. He was purring._

 _And as he was now, he resembled an overgrown cat. Maybe he wasn't so bad after all…_

* * *

 _AUTHOR'S NOTE_

Sorry, had to cut the happy times short. I think I might've switched some events around. I don't recall whether he was arrested first or if Chester joined first, but… Either way, both are going to happen.

And I think this is officially my longest story in the series. Who would've guessed that my outline only had nineteen chapters planned out…

Thank you **HerOverYonder, BucksDoe, Applejax XD** , guest ( **anonymouscsifan** ) for reviewing!

 **HerOverYonder** : Muahahaha! I guess you'll just have to wait and see what kind of character Morgan is. I typically update over the weekend if you ever think you've missed a chapter. Fanfiction alerts are a bit wonky for me too, sometimes. And yes, it will be Jimmy and Madi… most likely… I mean… He's only just been taken away somewhere. No big deal. Not like anything's going to… happen to him or anything…

 **anonymouscsifan** : I've been waiting for Season 7! I really hope it's good with LOTS of Evan Peters. It's kind of giving me The Purge vibes and… Evan Peters with blue hair… Hmm… At least it looks better than when he had that horrid grey wig as Quicksilver.

 **BucksDoe** : I'm so glad you love the series! I haven't watched Season 5, yet, since for some reason, I can only really concentrate on one thing at a time. After I finish writing this one, I'll be watching that and if a lot of people want to read a fifth installment, I'll be writing it.

 **Applejax XD** : Ahahaha… You were saying?

Thank you as well to everyone who has favourited and followed this story.

Please leave a review if you liked this!


	22. Chapter 22

**CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO**

After Jimmy was taken away, I found myself spending more and more time at the club. Morgan had even reserved a room for me upstairs to sleep after work. It was hard going back there where I had taken Jimmy for granted. I thought he was always going to be there, waiting for me to return. Now that he was gone, I didn't want to be drowning in people who were as deeply hurt as I was. It was just too much.

"I've found someone." Even Morgan, my unmovable rock, was looking exhausted. He had been working endlessly, calling lawyer after lawyer, but no one wanted anything to do with a lost cause. Everyone knew that freaks were meant to die, compliantly. No one cared because they weren't part of normal society. It simply wasn't worth the time to fight for them, especially since just getting a trial with a judge would be near impossible. "Charlie will be flying here from Los Angeles. He's going to need all the information we can get on Jimmy Darling."

I nodded. "Thank you so much, Morgan. I can do that." And I did. I went back to the Cabinet of Curiosities and began my interrogations. I visited everyone and recorded their accounts on the small tape recorder that Morgan had provided me. It only took him a few minutes to tell that my chicken scratch couldn't be read by anyone, even me.

So far, there hadn't been a single person who hadn't been completely accommodating and I was eternally grateful and touched. "Thank you, Eve." I hugged her, feeling as if I could break down all over again in her warm embrace. "I don't know what I'll do if he's gone forever."

"I know," she replied, hugging me tightly. 'I'm trying my best on my end to gather more funds, too, but it's looking pretty grim…"

I knew that none of them had a lot of money and Elsa would kill herself first before even lending any of hers. "Don't worry about that, Morgan said he has it covered and I told him he could take it from my pay cheque. Just… Just help me find a way to prove his innocence because I _knew_ he didn't do it. Someone framed him, but who?"

Had he just been at the wrong place, at the wrong time? What were the changes that all the women he had been… servicing died on the same day, in the same house just mere hours apart? It couldn't possibly have been a coincidence. They must've watched him leave and struck immediately after, knowing that they had a scapegoat.

I sat in his tent, listening to the recordings over and over again. Every one of them mentioned how happy he was after coming back and his clothes were clean of filth. Surely, if he had slaughtered the women, there'd be some physical evidence of it.

I noted it all down, writing as neatly as I could.

Who would want to frame Jimmy? Because that _had_ to be the case. Out of all the other houses out there, they had chosen this one. Was it someone he had offended when I was gone? Could be.

The other possibility was Dandy Mott. He was everyone's enemy, but I knew how much he hated Jimmy. I recalled the ruckus when I first hid in his tent. If Elsa hadn't been there, I was sure that they would've gotten into a fight.

There was also another altercation that Eve had told me about. Dandy had come back wanting to join the troupe. Needless to say, Jimmy was absolutely against the idea. And then the incident at the forest… Dandy Mott was like some arch nemesis who wouldn't stop plaguing us with his insanity.

He must've known that I would return here. Where else would I go? Was he trying to get rid of Jimmy and storm through the camp? What havoc would he wreck? Would he kill us like he had with those poor women?

I threw the pen down and groaned. I was really jumping into conclusions, now. I didn't have any solid evidence that it was Dandy and I still had a handful of people I had to talk to. I wasn't excited to approach them, but I had to. They could have crucial information and I didn't want to leave any stones unturned.

With that thought, I pocketed the notes and recorder and made my way to Dell's trailer. It was dark. I hoped that I wasn't disturbing him, but there was no time to lose.

I knocked on the door.

No answer.

I knocked on it harder and didn't stop until Desiree came over, rolling her eyes.

"That big lug is probably out drinking. Honestly, their entire family has a nasty habit of turning to alcohol at the slightest problem. It's a miracle that Jimmy turned out the way he has." It was then that I learned Dell and Desiree weren't on amiable terms, anymore. He had been in fits of rage and depression after Jimmy's arrest and she simply didn't know what to do when he brushed off all her attempts to help him. After a while, she had even began to see other men. I was surprised that I hadn't seen her at Morgan's club, but she teasingly commented that I was too busy with the owner to notice her.

I flushed and told her that that wasn't true. Jimmy and I were patching things up – well, we were before he was arrested – and I didn't want to throw away all the progress we've had.

With a chuckle, she took out her spare key to Dell's trailer and marched in, fully ready to give him a thorough scolding if he was passed out drunk. Indeed, we saw his large form slumped inside. His head was lulled to the side, leaning against the wall, and his eyes were closed.

It wasn't until we turned on the lights did reality dawn on us. There was a smear of blood behind him and his closed eyes were actually half-hooded and lifeless.

Desiree let out a cry of despair. "Dell! Dell!" She shook him until his head fell forward and his weight pinned her down. "You fool! Why would you do this?!" she sobbed.

I walked closer and noticed that the wound was only visible from the back of his head. Unless he had other talents, there was no way he could've shot himself there. "Desiree… I think someone killed him." My words didn't feel real. It would mean that someone _here_ was a murderer. Had I been going about this at completely the wrong angle? "Didn't Ma Petite also disappear? Whatever happened to her?"

"T-they found her body later… Elsa said – "

"And Ethel? What if she hadn't killed herself? Why would she do that to Jimmy? I know that she loved him despite all the drinking and scolding. Why would a mother leave her child?"

"She was dying anyway…" Desiree muttered weakly, trying to convince herself otherwise.

"But doesn't it feel suspicious? Did anyone even check her body?" I was riling myself up with all the conspiracies, now. "I mean… I don't know any of this for sure, but I think we should try to be careful. Something weird is happening around here. I'm sure you'd at least agree with that."

She gently let go of Dell. "I know." When she looked back at me, her eyes were full of fire. "I'll show whoever it is that they're messing with the wrong person."

I held her still. "You can't show that you know. I don't want to find your dead body next, but keep your eyes and ears on everything that's going on."

She nodded before a small teasing smirk appeared on her face. "You're really growing up, you know that?"

I blushed. "I just want everyone to be safe. Come on, we'll tell the others what we've found and go from there. Don't mention about what we suspect, except to maybe Eve and Paul."

We got out of the stifling trailer and as we hurried across the field, I nearly ran straight into Stanley who had been talking with Maggie behind the show tent.

I still hadn't had their testimonies, yet, but I wasn't sure if I wanted to. Something told me to stay far away from them and I had no problems with that, so with a quick excuse, we continued on.

When everyone finally knew about what happened, it was chaos. We had lost too many people too quickly and I didn't blame them for getting spooked. Unfortunately, in all the ruckus, I had lost a night that I could've spent helping Jimmy.

By the time Morgan came to pick me up, I was ready to go. I didn't feel safe there anymore. In the car, I told him what happened and he reacted as any normal person would. He wanted the police to get involved, but both of us knew already that they weren't going to care. It was one less freak to take care of. Besides, we weren't exactly friendly with the local authorities, seeing how Jimmy had just been accused of murdering those women.

We ended up compromising. I wasn't going to sleep there until it was safe and he was going to call in a few more favours to investigate.

"Thanks for giving me a few days off," I yawned, walking into my room. 'I know I haven't been working here long and right now, I'm more of a burden than anything, but I swear that I'll repay you, one day."

He leaned down to kiss my head. "Just stay alive."

I nodded. "I'll try."

"I mean it." He gave me the eye. "There is no repaying if you're dead."

"Yeah… Yeah…" I mumbled, kicking off my shoes. I was too tired to argue anymore.

The next few days went by too quickly. We hadn't found anything new to help Jimmy in a while, now. If we didn't keep his case relevant, they were going to forget him and he would rot there.

"Can't I go see him?" I asked Morgan everyday and he shook his head every time. Apparently, Jimmy wasn't allowed any visitors, but on this particular day, he finally gave me some good news. The lawyer, Charlie, managed to bargain visitation hours for him. They were short and during the day, but I would risk burning just to see him, again. It felt as if an eternity had passed since he had been taken away and each day seemed slower than the last.

"Here." Morgan draped his large coat over my head and buttoned it up. "I'll help you into the car." It was like being led around at camp. I was comfortable walking without my sight, but the silent drive there was torturous. In what state was he in now? Did they feed him there?

As soon as we arrived at the prison, I was required to take off the coat. It was a miracle that the intimidating building cast a dark and heavy shadow across the courtyard.

"Sorry, I'm late!" A brunet man with hazel eyes ran towards us. His suit was a mess and his tie was half draped over his left shoulder. His first impression really left much to be desired. "Sorry! Sorry!"

"Can he really do it?" I quietly asked Morgan, wondering if he was truly the one who could help us.

"Trust me," he replied, grinning back at me.

Once the three of us were in front of the guards, they gave us all scrutinising glares and ushered us in after Charlie quickly explained the situation and paperwork.

Our steps echoed down the dark halls. Each time the guard opened a section, I thought I was going to spot him somewhere. The prison was an absolute mess. It was dirty and reeked of what I assumed to be human filth. Gaunt faces looked back at me, too tired to even call out anymore. I had no doubt that If Jimmy stayed here any longer, he'd be in a similar state.

I was never going to let that happen.

"Here." He plunged one of his many keys into the lock. "Don't cause any trouble," the guard growled. "I'll be back in twenty minutes to take you all back out – no earlier, no later."

I breathed a sigh of relief when he was finally gone and opened the door. The heavy metal creaked loudly, but it fell into deaf ears when Is aw him. "J – Jimmy?"

He was laying in a bed with his limbs tied down. His lips were moving, speaking to an imaginary figure in the room.

I walked closer and tried my best to hold back the tears. "Jimmy, are you alright?"

His eyes began to clear as they fell on me. "M… Madi…" he croaked. "Are you really here?" His arms twitched as if he was trying to reach me, but they quickly fell back on to the bed. "Don't look at me!" he shouted, his body thrashing.

The cover on him began to slide off and my eyes widened when I saw what was truly wrong. "Yours hands!" I gasped. "What happened? Did the guards – "

"No," he groaned. His bloodshot eyes looked away in shame. "He said he could help me, but he needed money, so… so he suggested that I sell my hands."

"Who…?" I breathed in horror. Who could even suggest something like that and why would Jimmy agree to it?!

He mumbled something under his breath.

"Jimmy, look at me!" I turned his head. "Who did this to you?!"

"Stanley…" he sighed. The tears began to trail down the sides of his face. "He's not coming back, is he?"

"Oh, Jimmy…" I sobbed. How could he do this to himself?

"I know he was up to no good when he gave me that drink. It made me lose you, but I really thought that everyone else had already forgotten about me. You never came to visit. I just thought – "

"Because I couldn't! They said that you weren't allowed any visitors until now! How did he even get in when we couldn't?" I shook my head.

Morgan put his hand on my shoulder. "The guards were probably bribed. We'll be able to get a proper bail in a few days."

Jimmy turned to him. "Really?"

The dark man nodded. "We need you back before Madison goes crazy," he chuckled.

Jimmy gave him a strained smile and turned to me. "I swear I didn't do it," he told me. "When I left, they were all still alive. I don't know what happened to them, but it wasn't me."

"I know. I know." I brushed back his hair and kissed his forehead. "I love you, Jimmy. We'll get through this together. I promise."

"Madi… I'm sorry…"

"It's alright," I reassured him one last time before the guard came back to kick us out. "I'll be back, soon, and you'll be coming with us!" I told him just as the door clammed back closed. He felt so far away behind those the thick closure.

"Come on." Morgan wrapped his arm around my waist and spoke quickly to Charlie who continually shot me sympathetic looks. When we were at the lobby, he spoke to me for the first time.

"Madison, right?" He ran his hand through his messy hair. "I'll get him out. Trust me, okay? I've tackled worse cases then this. Besides, they have enough evidence to really tell that it's him. Just because he was at the house on the same day, doesn't prove anything."

"But that doesn't mean they'll spend money to prove his innocence! They just want a scapegoat to appease everyone else!" I protested. "Our lives aren't like yours. No one cares if a freak goes missing or found dead in some dirty alley!"

Morgan placed a hand on my shoulder and I leaned into his comfort. "He just wants to help, Madison. Let him do his job and he'll try his best to get things sorted. It'll be okay."

I bowed my head and mumbled an apology. I hadn't meant to lose my temper on him. Charlie had been nothing but kind. Seeing Jimmy in that state just made me wish that everyone could do more, including me.

I clenched my hands. If I saw that bastard, Stanley, I was going to kill him. There was no doubt in my mind that he had taken Jimmy's assets and ran for it. How despicable can someone be to take advantage of a framed man – to take his _hands_ from him.

Disgusting!

"Let me take you back. You should rest. The next few days will be hard." Morgan took me to his car before he turned to the quiet lawyer who was observing us silently. "I'll take to you later."

* * *

 _AUTHOR'S NOTE_

I watched the first episode of AHS Cult aaaaaand Evan Peters' character is just WOW. I'm not sure whether that's good or bad, but it's more for me to work with than Rory if I decide to write a fanfiction on it. I'm definitely liking the premise a lot more than Roanoke so far. Who else watched it? What did you think?

Thank you **BucksDoe, HerOverYonder, Mystery Angle** , guests ( **anonymouscsifan, AuroraSeven** ) for reviewing!

 **BucksDoe** : Thank you for reviewing! I'm slowly getting to the end of this one… Very slowly… I may or may not reach 30 Chapters by the end of it!

 **HerOverYonder:** Ahaha! Yes, nothing to worry about. He's just handless and his entire family is dead… All's good in the world. All you need is a cuddly demon!

 **anonymouscsifan:** I think I will eventually get to Morgan's bit… Maybe… I'm currently debating whether I want any incestuous relationship for Crimson Peak or not in terms of the main pairing (Thomas Sharpe/OC). I might do one with and one without.

 **Mystery Angle:** Thank you so much!

 **AuroraSeven** : The new season so far is just… wow… Evan Peters' character… I don't even know where to start. But I am beginning to get inspiration of how I want to incorporate my own little bits in if/when I write it.

Thank you as well to everyone who has favourited and followed this story.

Please leave a review if you've enjoyed this so far!


	23. Chapter 23

**CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE**

As Morgan predicted, the next few days were agonising. Charlie managed to barter a bail for Jimmy,. But it was ridiculously high and would take several more days to process. I didn't understand why they wouldn't let him free the moment Morgan handed over the cheque. It particularly annoyed me when they started spewing out discriminatory remakes. They began to question where someone of his _stature_ could have that much money. How dare they? Morgan earned every cent!

Despite all the troubles and frustration, Charlie had Jimmy out in the next week. I watched him stumble into the open, completely in a daze and squinting at the sun. Without his hands, his movements were strange. IT didn't help that he had been strapped down for so long.

"I'll walk, don't want to stink up your expensive car," Jimmy grumbled, pushing my hands away when I tried to help him into the dark vehicle. It was difficult enough with the large jacket on top of me. I didn't need him to be fussy, now.

"Stop being so stubborn," I huffed. I wanted him away from here as quick as possible. "Come on, let's go."

He continued to grumble when he went in and I sat beside him. Instinctively, I reached for his hand, but when it met bandages, I quickly hooked my arm around his instead. I was glad that Morgan had covered the back windows to make it more safe for me. I didn't want to worry about both things, while Jimmy was finally going home.

As we rode to the tents, Jimmy would frequently stare mournfully at where his hands once were. "I always hated them," he said. "Sometimes, I'd even wish that I had no hands instead of those ugly things, but now… it doesn't feel right. I don't feel like my, anymore. I can't be the Lobster Boy without my claws and that's who I've always been. Dell's going to bust a guy laughing at me when I tell him what happened."

My face paled. He still didn't know what happened. I spent almost every hour worrying about Jimmy that I had pushed it out of my mind until now. "Jimmy…" Should I tell him, now? He had only just gotten out of jail. I didn't want him to worry about it so soon, but what good would it really be to keep it from him? When would actually be an appropriate time? "Jimmy, about Dell…"

"What has he done, now?" he groaned, reaching up towards his hair, but froze when he realised that he couldn't run his hands through his hair, anymore.

"It's not so much what he's done, but… what's happened to him," I stuttered. "Jimmy, something happened while you were gone. He… I… Desiree and I found him dead in his trailer." His pain stricken face made me heartache. "I think someone killed him. I know he never would've left you and same with Ethel. I'm pretty sure someone killed them, Jimmy."

He clenched his eyes shut and shook his head.

Had I made a mistake? "I'm sorry, Jimmy. Maybe I should've waited until you're better. I just didn't know if I'd still have the courage to tell you, later." My lips began to tremble and I mentally admonished myself for it. He was the one who had lost both his parents in such a short amount of time. What right did I have to cry? I had to be stronger – if not for myself, then for him.

"It's okay, Madi," his voice cracked. "I mean… It's not alright that he's dead, but it wouldn't make a difference if I knew now or later." Unshed tears made his bloodshot eyes glitter. "Just don't leave me. I need someone to keep me sane. I feel like I'm losing everything and everyone. Is it me? What the fuck is wrong with me?"

I watched him struggle with wiping his tears away, so I did it for him. My hands touched the soft skin of his face and I gave into the urge to kiss him.

His lips were dry and cracked from dehydration. He reeked of body fluids and filth, but I missed him. I missed him so much that nothing was going to tear him away from me, now.

And when we broke away, I held him against me, feeling his trembles and the tears that were slowly soaking into my shirt.

"You're distracting me, back there," I heard Morgan quip. His eyes glint teasingly at me from the rear-view mirror.

I could only imagine what he meant, but it was so light-hearted that Jimmy's body became less tense. He continued to cling on like a child, burying his face in my chest.

When we finally arrived, I had to nudge him back to reality. It was a shame. Holding him so closely had made me feel infinitely better. "Come on, Jimmy. We're home."

Reluctantly, he peeled himself away and I threw the large coat over me again before he opened the door. I waited until someone opened my side of the door to get out. It was Morgan who helped me because I heard a collective gasp and shouts before Jimmy was accosted by his family. No matter what he thought, he wasn't' alone and his family was still there, albeit different. They loved him all the same.

"Do you want me to stay or come back later?" Morgan asked me. "Or should I assume that I'll never see you again?"

I turned to him. I couldn't see his expression, but his tone made me think. "Are you jealous? I thought – "

"Perhaps a little." He chuckled mirthlessly. "I knew exactly what I was getting myself into, but perhaps your honesty was my downfall. You're a hard woman not to love."

I couldn't help feeling remorse. It was true we were blatantly truthful with each other from the start, but even I felt something deeper than friendship for the man who had done so much for me. If I hadn't met Jimmy, I knew that I would've been more than happy to settle down with Morgan. He was the very definition of an honourable gentlemen. I also knew that he could love me unconditionally. It was unfortunate that my heart would always tug me towards the, now, handless man who really didn't have much to his name.

"I'm sorry, Morgan." I reached out my hand through his large coat that draped over me completely. The sleeves folded over my hands. "But I want to be able to see you, again, if that's alright with you. Even if I can never give you all of me, I don't want to give you up completely." I was selfish. I knew it was probably better if both of us cut things off cleanly, but I didn't want that.

He held my hand and pulled me against his chest. His heart was a soft, slow rhythm. 'There's no need to apologise. I would be delighted to see you as often as you want me."

"I know you'll find a wonderful woman who can be your everything," I told him. "You're the most amazing human being I have ever met."

"But not for you…" I thought I heard him softly say as he let go and took a step back. "I will be back tomorrow night. I expect you to work for every cent you owe me."

I smiled. "Of course. I'd work until I died if I had to. I'd work until I'm an ugly, old woman who would do nothing but scare your precious patrons away."

He laughed. "I'd love that."

It was a bittersweet moment. We both knew that despite the magnetic connection between us, it simply wasn't enough."

Jimmy came to lead me away after Morgan drove off. It was difficult without his hands and the nubs he had felt even stranger than his claws.

Once we were in his tent, I folded the coat up and placed it carefully on the chair, making a note to return it to Morgan the next day.

While he sounded happy to be back with his people, here, his body slouched over in exhaustion. The sadness in his eyes was palpable. "I'm useless, now," he whimpered. "Those hands, the things I hated most about my life, was the only reason I was here. Without them, I'm worthless. I cannot perform or support us. I'll be surprised if Elsa would even let me stay here. I might as well leave. What's even keeping me here?"

"How about everyone who's worried about you?" I asked him. "Everyone cares for you here. Can you really just pack up and leave Eve, Paul, Desiree, - "

He cut me off. The sadness had quickly turned into rage. "I'll only be a burden, now! Don't you understand, Madi? I'm _USELESS_! They'd have to do everything for me. I'd be better off _dead_!"

His arms swept across the table. The little trinkets he had made fell haphazardly to the floor. The more delicate ones were broken into irreparable pieces. " _LOOK AT ME!_ "

He hit himself over and over again with his forearms until I rushed over to stop him. I went in too strongly – too closely – and they hit me across the face. Tears of pain stung my eyes, but he immediately stopped. His eyes were wide in horror. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I can't do anything right, can I?" He collapsed on to the floor and I followed him. My hands remained on his arms as we cried.

I held them close to me before slowly unwinding the poorly wrapped bandages. It was healing terribly. The wound looked jagged and inflamed. It was obvious that whoever had done this didn't care whether he survived or not. Other than covering up what they had done, the wound was left to fester and decay. It was absolutely horrible.

I held his arms close to me, feeling myself break as he cried. My own tears blurred my vision and I felt them fall, trailing down my face in long, cold streaks.

Suddenly, I felt him jerk away from me with a cry of agony. I quickly wiped the tears and watched in horror as his stubs began to smoke. He tried desperately to whack away whatever was burning him.

I went to retrieve a glass of water and poured it over the wound. He let out a sigh of relief. "Thanks, Madi," he groaned. "What the Hell was that…?"

"I… I don't know." I gently touched his upper arm and looked curiously at the wound. After the water washed away whatever that was burning him, I noticed how it didn't look so bad anymore. The discolouration faded just a little, bleeding back into its fleshy tone. Maybe I had imagined it worse than it actually was. "What caused it? Are you feeling alright, now?"

He, too, look at the stubs. "I feel better, I guess, but I think it started when I felt something wet touch me."

Acid was the first thing that came to mind, but that was impossible. There wasn't any nearby, so the only other liquid that could've touched him was… My tears? Had I hurt him without knowing? "Did I do that to you?" I whispered.

He looked uncertain. 'I doubt it. How could you have – "

"Because there is something wrong with me," I cut him off. "You may have had lobster claws and Eve is a giantess, but me? _I'm_ the freak. Who can even explain the things that happened to me? I wouldn't be surprised if I was the one who just hurt you. In fact, I'm sure of it. My tears touched you and _burned_ you."

I stood up abruptly.

Jimmy clenched his jaws and reached out to me as if to pull me back down. "Wait, Madi – "

"No!" I shrieked. Everything was against us from the start. I turned on my heels and was about to make a run for it when I was knocked off my feet, my stomach was pressed against the floor with his heavy body weighing me down. "Let me go!"

"No!" he roared, repeating my exclamation. "I'm not letting you go, anymore. And don't be silly. How could your tears possibly hurt me?!"

Just to prove his point, he managed to wrestle me around so that we were pressed, face to face with nowhere to hide. His face was nothing but a mess of colours as the dreaded tears returned. "What are you doing?" I breathed.

He reached slowly to my face and touched the tears. We waited with bated breath. 'See – " He never got to finish his sentence as his wound immediately began to smoke as it did before. "Fuck!" He rolled over, cradling his arm.

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" I gasped. There was no denying it, now. I was the cause of his pain. Surely, I've cried on him before. Why was this any different? Had I gone from killing myself in the sun to killing others with my tears?

"No, no. Look!" Through the pain, he waved his smoking arm around. "Look! Y-you're not hurt – "  
"Yes, I am!" I shouted. How could he even keep telling me that when I could clearly see it with my own eyes – that he was still writhing in pain?

"No, really look. I mean… Fuck! This hurts like nothing I've ever felt before, but look at it, Madi." He shoved his stub closer to me. The smoke had already began to dissipate as the tears must've began to evaporate.

But when I got past the hysteria, I realised what he was saying. Not only did his wound lose all signs of infection and discolouration, when he placed them side by side with his other arm, one was longer than the other.

It could've just been that they had amputated his hands unevenly, which I wouldn't be surprised about, but nothing would explain how it had resumed its healthy fleshy colour.

"Does it still hurt?" I asked him, wanting to touch it, yet afraid I was going to hurt him further.

He shrugged. "A little, but… I think your tears are healing me."

Hesitantly, I raised his arm to my face where the tears still felt wet and disgusting on my skin. He instinctively jerked away from the pain, but forced his muscles to relax as his skin began to form and knit itself back together.

"Bite me."

"What?" He blinked in confusion.

"Bite me. I don't have any tears left and I think I need it to tell me that this is really happening," I explained.

He slowly leaned down. "Here?" His breath brushed the crook of my neck. A shiver went down my spine. "Are you sure?" His curls tickled my jaw and I closed my eyes, holding his head closer, nuzzling the side of my face.

"Yeah."

He kissed the spot and gave it a teasing suck right where my pulse was fluttering to the beat of my heart. "Jimmy…"

"I love you," he whispered before chomping down hard into the soft flesh.

I let out a quiet cry. The tears instantly fell from my eyes and I allowed them to touch him. He continued to suckle on the stinging wound, mixing pleasure with pain.

By the time we were done, his lips were locked with mine. My back was pressed into his mattress and his claws were tangled in my hair.

* * *

 _AUTHOR'S NOTE_

So to confess, I did model Madi after a phoenix. There were a few reasons for that. One of them being that they kept coming back from the dead. The other reason, well… I just like phoenixes… They're very beautiful in a sad way. They must die to keep living.

I hope this doesn't make her Mary Sue. I'm always worried that by giving my character more traits, she'll suddenly become overpowered. Please, do tell me if that has become the case.

Aside from that, I've finally decided what I want to dress up as for Hallowe'en! There weren't a lot of choices for me to choose from since it's still September, but I don't know how much time off I'll have in October, so I thought I'd go shopping early. I'm going to try for Harley Quinn, again, since last year was an absolute failure. I ended up dressing as a Slytherin student, which I loved, but it wasn't what I initially wanted. I'll have to improve some pieces, since the licensed merchandise are a little out of my budget… The jacket itself is over a hundred dollars, so I'll have to make do without it.

Moving on!

Thank you **BucksDoe, HerOverYonder, Cosmo39, Mystery Angle** , guests ( **ANONYMOUSCSIFAN, DaisyChain1993** )

 **BucksDoe** : I'm glad! Because it definitely looks like it's heading that way!

 **HerOverYonder** : Did you watch the second episode? I liked it, but… I'm kind of already tired of Ally freaking out. I'd happily like them to move on from that and to something that appeals to me more.. say… Kai. Ahaha… I really do love everyone else in the season, though. I hope I didn't spoil anything for you there!

 **ANONYMOUSCSIFAN** : WHY ARE YOU SHOUTING YOUR NAME AT MEEE? The twins, Maggie, and Stanley will return to the story soon. I just needed a break from them, myself. I'm hoping that Twisty isn't going to be the only crossover character in this season of AHS. As much as I liked seeing Pepper go to Briarcliff, showing how she ended up there and having the crossover established for Freak Show and Asylum, I really wished there was more to it.

 **Cosmo39** : Jimmy is out for the time being! Yay! Sleuthing will commence at a later time after Jimmy and Madi have had some alone time. Teehee…

 **DaisyChain1993** : I'm so happy that you like this! I hope this chapter is alright, too!

 **Mystery Angle** : Wait and find out! Muahaha!

Thank you as well to everyone who has favourited and followed this story.

Please, leave a review if you enjoyed this!


	24. Chapter 24

**CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR**

When Jimmy woke up the next morning with her hair tickling his nose, he had to pinch himself to be convinced that everything was real, but just the fact that he could do that was enough to make his head spin. He wasn't strapped down in the cell anymore with his hands amputated. The grotesque things were his again and he really couldn't explain it other than his Madi could work miracles. It didn't even bother him that they had remained claw-like. They didn't seem so bad, anymore.

He ran his hand through her hair.

His phoenix.

He held her, soaking in the moment because he was afraid that at any second, she'd be ripped away from him, again.

Well into the afternoon, he felt her shift and bury her face into his bare chest. He chuckled. The laughter came out before he could stop it. He was just so happy to have her back.

"Jimmy?" she tiredly moaned, looking up at him with bleary eyes.

"Good afternoon." He grinned back at her, watching her slowly take in everything with delight. The light in her eyes brightened her entire face and she flung her arms around his neck, holding him as tightly as she could.

"I love you. I love you. I love you," she chanted with sighs of contentment.

They stayed in each other's arms until the sun began to set and Desiree burst in looking concerned, but what she saw made her stop in her tracks.

"Alright, is anyone going to tell me what the Hell is going on?" She gestured to his hands in wonderment. "Was I dreaming last night or am I finally going crazy? Because I'm pretty sure Lobster Boy was missing his lobster claws, yesterday."

They looked at each other, wondering if they should tell her. Surely, Desiree wouldn't take advantage of her new found ability?

And so, they both sat up and told her to sit down as they relayed how he had regained his hands. She listened to everything as silently as she could, which was very impressive because they knew that she was absolutely bursting with questions.

She opened and closed her mouth several times before deciding on what she wanted to say first when they finished their story. "Then why didn't you heal yourself before?!" she asked Madi.

Madi looked thoughtfully back at her. "I… I don't know… I mean, I've cried millions of times, but it's never done me any good. Maybe it doesn't work on me? I… don't' really know."

It was definitely a good question. When he had to carry her into the sun, she had been crying, but all it had done was soak her soiled bandages, agitating the damaged skin further.

"Don't tell anyone, please," Madi quickly added. "We think someone here killed Ethel and Dell and Ma Petite."

Desiree sighed. Her confident demeanor seemed to have deflated. "I remember you telling me that." There was no need of convincing her further. In fact, she was ready to leave this place if some of the others would go with her. "We'll talk to Eve and Paul. Paul'll probably bring his girl, Penny, and the fire of us can get the Hell outta here."

"We'll need to get Suzi, too," Jimmy added.

"Alright. The _six_ of us will lea – "Desiree was cut off when a new presence entered the tent.

Jimmy suppressed the urge to let out a groan of displeasure. How many times did he have to tell everyone to stop coming and going in his tent?

"You're not going to leave when we're finally back, are you, Jimmy?" a falsely sweet tone met his ears.

He looked over to see the twins standing just at the entrance. The flap was still opening, allowing the orange glow to stream into the tent. "Close that!" he barked, his heart skipping a beat when he noticed how close Madi was to burning.

She was pressed flat against him with the cover over her entire body.

The twins didn't argue. They simple side-stepped, allowing the plastic to fall completely, swaying minimally. "We thought you'd be happy to see us back." Dot said, her eyes narrowed on him. "You came all the way to Dandy's place for us, after all."

He felt Madi stiffen against him, but he knew what they were trying to do. "I did and you knew where Madi was the entire time," he retorted accusingly at them. "Why didn't you tell me?"

Bette blinked coyly at him. "You never asked. You never even mentioned her or we would've told you, wouldn't we, Dot?"

"Of course," Dot agreed.

Madi's grip on his arm tightened and he knew that he'd have more explaining to do after.

Suddenly, her hand relaxed and she popped her head back out once she knew that she wasn't going to simply burn away. "I'm sure he didn't because he didn't know I was there, but you did. Did you like watching me die as much as Dandy?" she sneered, a very uncharacteristic look on her face. "I mean, you _did_ pull open the curtains that day, hoping it'll kill me."

"What?!" Jimmy roared. His eyes narrowed into a glare that made Bette quickly look away, while Dot thought of what to say next. His anger rose so quickly that he unconsciously held Madi too tightly. She let out a squeak of protest and he immediately let go, but he was still seeing red. "What do you mean they tried to kill you?"

She crossed her arms. "It's exactly as it sounds."

When he made to jump up, he felt Desiree's hand press down on his shoulder, keeping him in place.

"It was an accident," Bette finally blurted out. And then, she fluttered her eyelashes at them. "I'm really sorry, Madison."

Madi narrowed her eyes. "I guess I understand where you were coming from. The first sign of not getting what you want and you try to eliminate your competition. I'm surprised that it's taken you this long. Maybe if he hadn't revealed my predicament, it'd be better for you, but really? Dandy Mott is who you'll murder for? Your standards can't be that high."

"As Bette already told you, it was an accident. I don't know what conspiracy theories you're going on about," Dot denied and then, turned to Jimmy. "We'll never hurt our family. You know us better than that."

His anger was still simmering. It was true that he had known the twins slightly longer than Madi, but it didn't mean anything to him. He was finally able to see who his true friends were. "I don't care what you have to say. Just _get out_."

With a huff, the twins turned on their heels and departed. His day had started out so well. Clearly, no one respected his peace and privacy.

Madi shifted beside him and kissed his lips when he looked at her. "Thanks."

He smiled back. "Always."

Everything had always been a rollercoaster for him. He'd be extremely lucky one moment and then, it'd all go to shit.

It was several days later when Elsa broke the news that they were getting a new addition after Salty died in his sleep and she had sent Pepper to Briarcliff in hopes that the church would be able to help ease her heartache. Salty's death had hit suddenly, but neither he nor Madi could find any foul play. The poor man had simply died of a stroke.

All they could do was mourn the loss of another friend. Slowly, they were all dropping like flies and although they were thinking of leaving, the opportunity never arose.

"This is Chester Creb," Elsa introduced everyone to a brunette man. "He's a magician and a ventriloquist. Maybe he can magic this place back to life." Even Elsa was growing weary of the direction this troupe was heading.

"Oh, there's no maybe." The moment the man spoke, they could all feel his charismatic personality press against them. "I will definitely revive the show. It shall be spectacular!"

"Yes, it will!" He moved a female puppet as if it was talking.

"It's kind of creepy," he heard Madi mumble to him, eying the thing as if it was going to jump off the stool and eat her.

He chuckled, kissing the side of her head. "Don't worry, I'll be here to protect you."

She beamed back at him, snuggling into his body.

As Elsa sat back, Chester began to sell his act to them. It was no doubt fascinating. Instead of having a physical quirk, he actually had things planned. Jimmy couldn't deny that Chester would bring something more to the group. He just wished that the other man would stop looking at him like that. It reminded him of Morgan's dark eyes, but not as intense.

When he voiced his concerns to Madi, she merely giggled back at him and thought it was amusing that he had several men liking him. She seemed much more comfortable with their affection, probably because she knew that he was so uncomfortable with it. He had no interest in being with someone of the same sex. It was just strange. It didn't matter how attractive they were, he knew he wouldn't be able to handle it.

An image of Morgan flashed in his mind, but he pushed it away. There was no one who could convince him otherwise.

"At least, I know that you're not going to fall for him," she quipped, causing him to frown. She was having way too much fun with this.

"Even if they were women, I only have eyes for you, my phoenix." He brought her close, nibbling the spot on her neck that was still red from when he pierced the skin. "I love you," he groaned as her hands began to wander. They were finally alone, again, and his desires were running rampant.

They rolled around in bed until the sun was up and he managed a couple hours of sleep before leaving to practise. With the new act came different queues. He was now performing after Chester and he wasn't excited for that. Even back then, he hated his juggling act. It was so underwhelming and he had never met anyone who was particularly interested by it.

"Hey, Jimmy." He froze when he heard her voice.

Although Stanley had scampered off after stealing his hands, Maggie stayed behind. He didn't know the reason why. There really wasn't anything for her here and it wasn't as if anyone even liked her after what happened. She had always been the odd one out. The only reason she ended up here, he figured it was because of Stanley who had also abandoned her.

In a way, he pitied her. She couldn't be happy here. She was a young, attractive woman. Why couldn't she find someone else? He had proven it to her over and over again that Madi was the only one for him. Nothing was going to change his mind.

"What is it?" he coldly replied, hoping that she was just going to sense his displeasure and leave. Unfortunately, that hadn't been the case.

She sighed before crossing her arms. "Look, Jimmy. I know I'm never going to have your love or anything. You've made it pretty clear that you only have eyes for her."

He was glad that that had finally hit home, but he was never going to forget what she had done nor was he likely to ever forgive her, just like he was never going to forgive the twins. He had tried to suppress the rage that had been bubbling inside him, all the pent up anger that he couldn't aim at Stanley. "And I'm guessing you were also in on Mr. Hollywood's scam? Give him my thanks for fuckin' taking my hands! I'm sure he got a lot for them. Think I'll ever get my cut?"

She winced and turned away from him. Her cigarette was oddly absent. "I'm not going to deny that I knew what he was doing, but I never had anything to do with it. If anyone, you might want to ask poor Dell if he was still alive."

Dell?

No, she was lying. His father would never sink so low, would he?

Seeing the look on his face, she shrugged. "Whether you believe it or not doesn't matter to me. It is what it is."

He swallowed. "Alright, so Dell might've done some bad things." He really wasn't that surprised now that he thought about it. It wasn't as if his own hands were clean. Like father like son, right? "But that doesn't excuse you from standing idly while Stanley goes off on a killing spree." Sure, he was sounding like a hypocrite, but he was trying to be better. He wanted to be the person that Madi would be proud of.

"Jimmy, I was basically homeless before he took me in. I owed him a lot," she told him. "I didn't always agree to everything he did, but he has always been kind to me. He was all I have."

He clenched his fists, his mind and heart battling with each other. H knew what it was like to owe someone like that and indeed, he had gone as low as he could to pay them back. Because of this, he knew that she had been placed under stressful situations. Even then, he couldn't forgive her. The people who had died were his family and… and _his own hands!_ He'd be a fool if he allowed that to slide. "Whatever it is, you need to leave. Stanley's gone off shit knows where and you said he was so damn nice to you? He must've told you where he went. You can go with him. No one's going to miss you here."

Te hurt that crossed her face gave him a sense of glee, but it was quickly trampled over by guilt. He didn't like hurting anyone. It wasn't in his nature, but sometimes, circumstances pushed him to do unspeakable things.

"Alright, I understand. You _fuckin'_ hate me, but I'm not leaving," she hissed back at him, crossing her arms over her stomach. "Stanley leaving was a surprise to me, too, okay? But as long as Elsa doesn't kick me out, you have no say in the matter."

He couldn't understand what could possibly be keeping her here. No one liked her. Even Elsa had become bored of her "predictions." They all knew better now that it was all a lie. Maybe he had to talk to the boss lady, later. Surely, he'd be able to convince her to kick the blonde out.

She took a step forward. When he didn't move, she took another step and another until she was inches away from him. She was so close that he could smell the remnants of tobacco still clinging on t her clothes. It was faint and he wondered what would've caused her to stop. He knew that I wasn't' him. No matter how he had shouted at her to stop smoking in front of him, she was adamant to go through the packs in his face.

"Jimmy, I'm not here to argue." She reached over to take his hands and he instinctively jerked them away. "I'm glad you still have your hands. I begged an begged him not to hurt you. I even tried to get you to leave here before, but you wouldn't listen to me, remember? You could've made it out there on your own."

"I would never do that. My everything is here," he argued, thinking it preposterous that she was even suggesting that.

"I know and that means that I have to stay here, too." Her words made no sense to him. It was as if she was grasping at straws, trying to find any reason to stay, but there was none. He would never waver on this. He was sure.

She reached over again and this time, she held on tight. She moved his left claw and placed it on her stomach. "Don't you understand? Our baby needs their father."

His blood ran cold.

"What?!"

* * *

 _AUTHOR'S NOTE_

Did you guys expect that? I had been planning it for a while… Hope you guys don't hate me! And I'm sorry Chester's introduction was so short. I promise there will be a lot more of him later.

Thank you **anonymouscsifan, BucksDoe, HerOverYonder** , and **myheroeshadtheheart** for reviewing!

 **anonymouscsifan** : I completely agree. The Twisty connection right now is pretty weak, but I'm really happy that there's more Kai in the last episode. I'm feeling pretty bad for Ally, right now, though. And to be honest, I kind of already know how I'm going to twist this season to fit in with my own series connection. In the beginning, I was hoping to end it after a few stories, but… you guys have been so awesome that inspiration is hitting me everywhere.

 **BucksDo** e: Thank you! I'm glad he has his hands back, too! I really didn't like those wooden substitutes.

 **HerOverYonder** : DID YOU WATCH EPISODE 3?! If not… Here's your reminder for EPISODE 4 ON TUESDAY! (For me at least... I'm not sure when it comes out for everyone else). And no no no no no! She's never going to start flying or spitting fire! Now THAT would be funny, though. If only I could go back and add it into a drunken Jimmy dream of Madi.

 **myheroeshadtheheart** : I'm so glad you've liked my series and the Alien story! I've updated both. Hope they're okay!

Thank you as well to everyone who has favourited and followed this story.

Please, leave a review if you enjoyed this!


	25. Chapter 25

**CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE**

A knew that something was wrong with him the moment he came back for break. At first, I thought perhaps it was Chester. He was the new factor, but when I saw them in a light conversation, I knew that that couldn't have been the cause. Someone else was making him unhappy and only a couple of people came to mind.

Elsa was as dismissive as she had always been. In fact, she actually appeared even _more_ distant than before. The practises would go on as per usual and she didn't even seem to be enjoying her singing solo. I never thought that day would ever come, but whatever we plaguing her didn't seem to have anything to do with Jimmy.

My eyes wandered to the woman who was standing off to the side like I was, but her burning stare was almost enough to set the stage on fire. Surprisingly, I wasn't the target of her ire. Instead, her gaze was fixated on Jimmy who seemed to be avoiding her eyes at all costs. What had happened in the afternoon, while I slept?

The insecure side of me wondered if they had possibly done something behind my back, but that wouldn't explain her behaviour. I didn't know what to think about this new unexpected turn of events that involved the very woman who tried to steal him away from me.

When I asked him about it, he was uncharacteristically dismissive. I didn't know what to do. I wanted to trust that nothing was wrong.

"Don't worry about it, Madi." He kissed my forehead. "I'll take care of it." I didn't know what he was referring to, but now I knew that there was indeed something going on and he wasn't going to tell me about it.

No matter how much I wanted to confront him, I decided not to. I had to trust him to do what was right. I had to believe in our relationship – believe in _us_.

I pecked his lips, hoping that he could feel that he had my moral support. "It'll be alright." I was trying to convince myself more than I was trying to convince him, Somehow, it really wasn't that reassuring, at all.

This was something that continuously hung over us. This unknown, foreboding feeling that our future was being threatened, again.

In the evening, the police came. They weren't here to cause any trouble, but the entire troupe was on edge at their arrival. The duo quickly took note that Jimmy hadn't run off to another country and left, again. The tension never disappeared after they were gone. It was a reminder that Jimmy wasn't truly free, yet. He was on borrowed time until we could prove his innocence.

I told Morgan about what happened and he agreed with my notion that if we didn't find the true murderer soon, Jimmy was going to be the scapegoat whether they were certain or not. They simply didn't care enough. As long as the masses were appeased, a homeless adolescent could be throw in.

"What about the spoiled child you told me about?" he asked me.

"Dandy Mott?" I mumbled back. Of course, he had come to mind, but thinking about him was instantly accompanied by the pain he had conditioned into me. The fact was, he was probably the murderer. If this was lined to us in any way, Dandy had to be the cause.

Unfortunately, how were we going to convince the authorities? They wouldn't want to upset the Mott family and they didn't' care about us. It would benefit them to have us all put down if it wasn't going to cause some sort of scandal.

"I'm a man of many connections." Morgan's eyes twinkled when he saw the worry on my face. "I didn't get this far alone. Leave this to me."

I frowned. I didn't want to be left out of it. "I'm going with you," I told him. "Wherever – whoever –this is. I don't want to sit around when Jimmy could be put under at any moment and when you're working so hard trying to help us. It doesn't feel right."

He sighed. "I don't' want to put you in any danger. Not everyone I know is a good man like Charlie. Madison, _I'm_ not a good man. There have been many bad things I've done that I regret and many more that I don't."

"I don't care," I adamantly stated. "You've been nothing but kind to me and that's all that matters. What you've done in the past means remains in the past. Everyone has done things they've regret."

I watched as he closed his eyes, leaning his head against the luxurious black leather couch. He shook his head with a low chuckle. "I'll never be able to convince you otherwise, will I?"

"No," I agreed, the corners of my lips quirking upward, knowing that I have won.

The next day, he drove me out of town. I had a thick blanket over me, but just the aspect of leaving Jupiter was enough to make me giddy. I had to keep reminding myself that this wasn't' a vacation. Jimmy was in danger and whoever we were going was to help him. But once everything was over, maybe we'd be able to leave Elsa's Cabinet, if only for a few days.

"Remember, don't leave the car unless I tell you to. Run when I say to run. H – "

I cut him off. "I know. I know. Do what Morgan says because Morgan's friends are bad people."

I could practically imagine the scowl marring his usually relaxed features. "They are _not_ my friends. They were a means to an end – stepping stones to get to where I am today."

I grope around for his hand and he quickly held it, pushing it back underneath the cover. "I'm sorry. I'm just nervous and can't wait until it's all over. I really appreciate everything you've done for me. I'll make it up to you."

His large hand squeezed my own and I felt him place a kiss on my head through the fabric. "Just don't leave me," he whispered. "I'm not as strong as you think I am. Even if I can never touch you. Even if I can never have your love, you have mine and I will be happy with anything you can give me."

My heart ached at his words. Never did I think I would be in a position like this – to have two wonderful men who loved me so completely and having to break one of their hearts. "I'm so sorry, Morgan."

"No need, darling," he sighed. "Now, sit tight while I get a few things at the gas station."

I nodded.

I heard the car keys jingle when he pulled them out of the ignition and then, the doors opened before slamming closed. I curled up in my seat. I wanted the wretched blanket off me. In the darkness, I was stuck with only my thoughts. It didn't help that Morgan refused to tell me much about the people we were going to meet. I hope that they weren't outlaws, but by the way he spoke about them, I wouldn't have been surprised.

I jumped when I suddenly heard loud knocking from beside me. The force of the knocks shook the entire car.

"Who's under there?" The voice was masculine and fir. "Get out from under the blanket."

I didn't know what to do. I couldn't exactly do that in broad daylight without frying myself, but I shifted the blanket until I was able to peek out with my eyes, while still having the fabric loom over my head, casting a dark shadow over my face. I was glad that the sun was on the other side. "H-hi," I hesitantly greeted the stranger.

The man was dressed like the officers in Jupiter, but I wasn't familiar with the badge on his arm. All I knew was that he was probably the next county's police.

"Get out from under there," he grunted, shining his flashlight into my eyes.

I squinted uncomfortably, resisting the urge to drop the blanket back over my face. That would probably make me look suspicious and I really had nothing to hide other than the fact that I was going to burst into flames if I left the safety of my shelter.

Looking warily at the other hand that was resting at his belt where his gun was holstered, I told him, "I can't." I hoped that he wasn't going to take it as resisting him. "I… I'm very sensitive to the sun and I'll burn and blister if I don't have the blanket to cover me." I was also probably going to die, but he didn't need to know that.

His lips became down-turned. "What are you doing here? Where's your partner?" He spoke as if he was interacting to a criminal and even though I wasn't guilty of anything,. I instantly felt as if I had to confess to something – perhaps all the times I stole food or secretly badmouthed nasty pedestrians who shot me dirty looks… _Anything_.

"Hello, officer. How may I help you?" The low rumble of Morgan's voice immediately calmed me down. He'd know what to do. He always did.

The stranger turned his attention to the new arrival. I could see his fingers inch closer to his weapon and hoped that he wasn't going to do anything.

"Who are you? What business do you have here?" the officer barked.

"Morgan Laveau," he replied. "And the one in the car is my lovely fiancée." I flushed at the lie.

"Fiancée? To a man like you?" I could hear the disbelief in the officer's voice and it made me seethe inside. There was nothing wrong with Morgan! He was a wonderful man. My heart just belonged to another. "Miss, tell me the truth, is he abducting you? I'm an officer. I can – "

"No!" I exclaimed, clenching my hands. "We're going on a road-trip before our wedding. I can assure you that there is _nothing_ you can do. Please, we'd like to be back on our way."

He turned his nose at me. "Then don't expect the state to waste any time and money to help you when he beats you black and blue. Maybe you're the type of girl that likes it."

Before I could say anything else, Morgan had already slipped back into the car and started the engine. "Thank you, officer. I'll be sure not to call you when I do just that." The words came out so politely that it drew a dumbfounded look on the other man's face.

When we were finally away from the police station, I let out a sigh of relief that turned into a quiet, mirthless laugh. Honestly, what was wrong with this world? People like Dandy Mott was free to do whatever he pleased, while someone like Morgan was being questioned left and right simply because he had a different-coloured skin? Or perhaps it was the fact that I was with him. W hat difference did that really make?

The sun began to set by the time we arrived. I left the blanket in the car when I noted how the looming buildings cast long, dark shadows across the town. This place felt… cold… dangerous…

I stuck close to Morgan, scared that I could be pulled into an alley at any moment. He didn't seem too concerned. In f act, he looked comfortable in this town, more than I ever saw him.

"We're going to take a small detour. There's just someone I want to see before we do anything else."

We stopped in front of an old house with decaying walls and dirty windows. The shutters were closed, hiding whoever was inside from the rest of the world.

Morgan went right up to the door and produced a key. The door creaked loudly as he swung it open. "Come on. You can take that off after we're in here. She likes to keep the house dark." I could hear the exasperation in his voice.

I walked in, closing the door behind me, and looked around. The inside of the house was actually immaculate. There was not a speck of dust in sight and every inch of the wall was covered with photos and paintings.

Who lived here?

I stepped forward and looked closer at the framers and spotted four people smiling back at me. "Do you know – "

When I turned around, Morgan was already walking up the stairs.

I had a suspicion who these people were, but what happened here? Surely, they didn't always live like this.

I quickly moved away from the photograph and followed Morgan to the second floor. He had made a beeline towards a closed door at the very end of the hallway. When he opened it, I saw the shelf full of books and when he moved to the side, I saw the woman sitting by a lamp. Her eyes were closed, but the book was still opened in her lap.

"Ma?" he quietly called out, kneeling in front of her.

My heart warmed. He had really taken me to his childhood home – the place he had grown up. I stood back, watching him slowly rouse his napping mother who looked blearily at him. "Morgan?"

"Hi, ma." His voice was soft, almost meek, as he took her wrinkled hand and stroked the back of it.

"Oh, Morgan!" She threw her arms around him, giving his cheek a long kiss. "I've missing you so much! Why haven't you been visiting?"

He looked regretfully at her. "You know why. Too many memories here. Besides, it's probably best that I didn't come. You know that there are quite a few people here who are more than happy to see me gone forever."

My eyes widened. He really wasn't kidding when he said he dealt with bad people. What had he done to earn their vengeance?

"But I wanted you to meet someone." He beckoned to me and I froze. I wasn't ready for this. He didn't warn me that I was going to meet his mother! "Ma, this is Madi. Madi, this is my mother."

"Come here, dear. My sight isn't what it used to be. Let me have a better look at you." She waved her hand and I hesitantly walked over, kneeling beside Morgan.

She placed a shaky hand on my cheek. "Oh, I have a better feeling about this one, already. I'm so happy that you've finally moved on from that witch."

I flushed. "O-oh! N-no, Morgan and I – "

Morgan placed a hand on my shoulder, stopping me mid-denial. "I know. I'm glad that I met Madison. I've never been happier."

I didn't know what to say as my heart raced in my chest.

"I'll put the kettle on!" As she began to stand up, Morgan quickly stopped her.

"We have to go, soon. There are still a few places we have to be before the day is over," he told her. He leaned over and kissed her cheek. "I'll be back soon. I promise."

She looked sadly at him. "You said that seven years ago…"

He looked away. "I know, but I promise, once everything is sorted, I'll come back. Maybe I'll take you with me to Jupiter, this time. I have a nice house there, a large garden. You'd love it there."

"You know this is the only home for me," she chuckled. "Go on. Don't worry about an old hag like me. I'll be fine. I have these books to keep me company, while you get yourself in trouble, but there is no way I will be missing the wedding, you hear me?"

He laughed. The corners of his eyes wrinkled with mirth. I had never seen him so at ease. "Of course, ma."

She, then, turned to me. "I know you're a good girl. You're just what he needs. Please, take care of him. He's a troublemaker. You should've seen him when he was younger." She reached over to what seemed to be a photo album on the shelf, but Morgan quickly stopped her.

"We really have to go. Madison doesn't want to listen to boring childhood stories." He wrestled the book away from her and slid it back in, leaving his hand on it to keep it in case she tried to reach for it, again.

I giggled. "I don't know… Tiny Morgan sounds interesting. I can't even imagine you as anything other than tall."

"He's really grown up big and strong, hasn't he?" She smiled fondly at her son. "I wonder if Jason would've grown up just like you."

"I think he was more like you than anything," Morgan whispered. "He was a good kid."

"I know…" She sighed. "Now, go on. Don't waste your time here in this old place. I'll be here if you ever want to drop by, again."

Morgan stood up, giving her a hug. Once he was done, she turned to me and stretched out her arms. I happily fell into her embrace. She was warm like my mother. If Morgan didn't want to visit her more, I'd probably come here myself or force him to take me here. I was sure that she would bake me delicious cookies, as well.

"I promise I'll take good care of him, ma'am," I told her.

"I know you will."

With that, we left.

The sun had almost disappeared by this time. Only remnants were left of its orange glow.

I looked at Morgan, feeling as if I had finally discovered the person beneath all the expensive clothes and calmed demeanor. "Thank you." I smiled at him.

He turned to me. "What for? I should've warned you before I came here. I should've asked you before I let her believe you were with me, but she's been worried about me for so long. I didn't want her to keep thinking I was still caught up on that woman."

I squeezed his hand. "It's alright. Do what you have to do. You know I'll be there for you." Just as he had been there for me.

* * *

 _AUTHOR'S NOTE_

I changed up about half the chapter here last minute. I hope you didn't mind that Jimmy wasn't really here. I kind of ended up going on a tangent because I thought I should give Morgan a little more depth. I didn't want him to just be a character Madi went to whenever she was in trouble. I wanted him to have a story and some flaws.

Thank you **HerOverYonder, Mystery Angle, Cosmo39** , guests ( **anonymouscsifan, DaisyChain1993, AuroraSeven** ) for reviewing!

 **HerOverYonder** : Weellll… What happens in the box, you'll have to wait for it! *hides* You can't see me!

 **anonymouscsifan** : Aww… But I'd love to read what you've written! Teehee… I'm so happy that they showed more of Kai this episode! But he's a little… special in this. I'm not sure how I'll ever work Madi in it if I do end up working on that…

 **Mystery Angle** : Oops! No peace for Jimmy! He's going to be simmering on that for a while.

 **Cosmo39** : I don't know why, but Bette and Dot had always annoyed me. Sarah Paulson's characters are usually ones I really like or ones I really hate.

 **DaisyChain1993** : Maggie is always trouble. Jimmy is probably going to try to find a way out of it… I wonder how _that's_ going to turn out.

 **AuroraSeven** : I love and hate Kai, right now! I still want to see a lot more of him, but oh boy… Some of the things he does… And Madi is always on my mind when I watch it so when it got to a particular scene, all I could think was… How would she react to THAT.

Thank you as well to everyone who has favourited and followed this story.

Please, leave a review if you've enjoyed this!


	26. Chapter 26

**CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX**

We made our way back into the car and he drove for several minutes before parking by the outskirts on the other side of town. It was dark now, so I left the blanket in the car and looked at the tall, rundown buildings around me. This place felt… cold, dangerous. It was nothing like where Mrs. Leveau had been.

"This way." He pulled me towards a door situated to the side of an old tower. "Let me talk to them."

I nodded. I really didn't want to say anything wrong and have us both shot down. This place just gave me a bad feeling.

The trek up the stairs was nerve-racking. What were those people like? Where they the type to shoot first and ask questions later?

Morgan opened the door on the fifth floor. Immediately, I heard guns being cocked and eyes burning through me. I looked nervously at all the faces staring back at me.

"Back off," Morgan growled, closing the door softly behind us.

No one moved. Their guns were still trained on us.

"I said. _Back. Off_ ," Morgan repeated, stepping in front of me.

Eventually, someone walked up. "Finally showing your face here, Laveau? Thought you hit gold and abandoned your brothers here." This man was shorter than Morgan. His frame lanky, but toned. He had tattoos running up the side of his body and stopping just at the jaw line.

"You know that's not true. I've been busy and I've sent money every month," he replied. His voice was relaxed as if we weren't about to die any second. "Kevin, this is Madison. I've called you and told you about her."

Kevin looked at me with an appraising look before a wide grin split across his face, transforming his entire demeanor. "Madison. Madison!" He walked over as if he was going to hug me, but Morgan blocked him off. "Come on, Morggy. I was just saying hi."

"You can do it over there." Morgan nodded to the opposite side of the room. "And don't call me Morggy."

"Don't be like that," Kevin teased.

The rest of the man looked uncertainly between the two men. I was doing the same. Their interaction was peculiar. Were they friends?

"Come on, guys." Kevin finally turned to the confused group and told them to put away their weapons. 'Don't you guys recognise him? He's our big brother, Morgan Laveau! He's just a little more dapper, now."

There was a slow wave of recognition that travelled across the room. Whispers quickly followed, but I wasn't following.

"Morgan…?"

He turned to me with a sigh. "I've told you that I haven't always had money. This is where I grew up. Life here was different. My family and I never had enough of anything, so I had to do what I could. I found some of these guys and we – "

"Terrorised the town!" Kevin finished for him. "Morgan here was our big brother – our leader – before he left us, that is."

"It was not like that. You know I hated it here and I've offered to help you out of here as well – all of you," Morgan stated.

"Yeah, well… We're doing pretty good here without your help," Kevin retorted.

I looked around. This place was falling apart. The walls had holes. The windows were cracked and the furniture looked as if they were barely standing. How much had Morgan been sending them and what exactly had they done with the money? Surely, they could've afford to board up the draft.

"But it seems like you've come here for a reason," Kevin continued.

Morgan nodded. "I have a pest that needs to be dealt with."

My eyebrows raised.

"You've come to the right place, then. We have all the guns you'll ever need." Kevin gestured to the opened chest that was tucked into a corner.

He shook his head. "I need legal evidence to pin him, through illegal means. He's rich. HE has the money to pay his way out or bribe his way to a scapegoat. I need to make sure that he's put away for good. The only problem is, there is someone else involved. Another man was already framed for the murders."

Kevin hummed. "You don't mean Bloody Face, do you? I want nothing to do with that woman killer. He's a monster and most of us have women of our own, now. We don't want him coming after our families."

"No." Morgan shook his head.

Bloody Face? Woman killer? Could that be Dandy Mott? Had he only been targeting women? I never thought about it before, but as far as I remembered, he _did_ only assault females. The only time I saw him take a man was Jimmy and Dandy left before he did anything that night. Then again, I couldn't say that I knew of everyone he had tormented.

"His name is Dandy Mott," he told them. "He's been stalking Madison for a while and he's finally managed to make it seem like her boyfriend did it."

"Her _boyfriend_?" Kevin exclaimed in confusion. "I thought she was _your_ girl. What's with this charity work?"

Morgan glared at him, while I looked away. That wasn't exactly a lie. I _was_ a charity case for him. Other than being a waitress at his club, I had nothing to offer him. I couldn't even give him the one thing he wanted of me because it beat for another person.

"Oh, I see… She has a cute boyfriend, doesn't she? You're interesting in getting into both of their pants!" Kevin roared with laughter.

My eyes widened and I immediately flushed.

"Shut up, Kevin," Morgan growled. "Whatever the reason is. If you can do it, I will make sure you will be heavily compensated. If you can't, I understand and we'll just have to deal with it another way. I don't want any of you to feel pressured with doing this because there is definitely risk."

Kevin shrugged before looking at his men. "Up to your guys. I'm not forcing any of you, either. If you want to help our big brother, step up. Otherwise, just keep that ass glued to the stinkin' floor."

There was uncertainty at first, but the moment one of them stepped up, more followed. "He's helped us a lot. I want to do something to make it feel as if I deserve it somehow."

Kevin smiled. "Well said, Jackie boy."

Jackie glared at him. "It's Jackson. Stop giving us those shitty names."

His only reply was a shrug before Kevin turned back to Morgan. "Well, there you have it. Your own little army to do as you please and when you please, but please, I don't want to see any naked butts around here."

I covered my face with my hands. Kevin was so vulgar. I had heard Paul and Dell talk like that before, but nothing so concentrated, but I could tell that everyone else seemed to be used to it.

"Well, should we talk plans, then?" Kevin's face finally turned serious. It was as if he had suddenly become a completely different person. His dark eyes were slightly narrowed and he slammed a raggedy notebook down along with some pencil stumps.

Morgan nodded. "Madison, do you want to rest a little? I know you've been awake for a while and I suspect this will take some time."

"I can help," I argued. "Besides, who knows Dandy more than me here?"

"She's right," Kevin injected. "Come here, girlie. We'll need everything you can give us."

I walked over to the table despite Morgan's protests. Eventually, he sighed in defeat and came up behind me.

"So Dandy, we think he's the one who murdered a house party of women, recently," I started, but was quickly cut off.

"Wait, you _think_?" one of the sitting ones asked.

"Let the girl speak, Craig!" Jackson elbowed him.

Craig rolled his eyes before going back to playing with his gun.

"Yes, well…" I could feel my courage slip, but Morgan's hand on my shoulder helped. "It's most likely Dandy. I know for sure that he's already been kidnapping people like me and he's tried to kill Jimmy, too. He's absolutely deranged!"

I told them everything I knew about Dandy Mott. I told them how he was an absolute psychopath who only thought about himself. I wanted to tell them how many times that lunatic had already killed me, but that would require a lot of explanations that I didn't want to go into. There was a part of me that already trusted Kevin, but everyone else? I wouldn't bet on it.

I also told them where he lived and who lived with him. There wasn't a lot of defence at his place. In fact, other than Dandy, Gloria, Bette, Dot, and Nora – or whoever had replaced her after, I hadn't seen anyone else there.

Morgan wrote down everything as I went on, knowing that if I tried, no one would be able to understand my writing. When I was nearly done, I couldn't suppress the yawn that interrupted my testimonies.

"Alright, it's sleep time for you." Morgan nudged me. "I'll go get the blanket from the car and you can probably find a place to huddle for a few hours and then, I'll drive you back."

"I can just sleep in the car – "

"No!" both Morgan and Kevin protested, leaving me wide eyed by their insistence.

Kevin cleared his throat. "It's not safe here. Wherever you lived before, it's nothing like here, especially if Morgan is still driving his fancy cars."

I sighed and nodded. "But I can go get the – "

"I'll get it, Madison. Just wait here." Morgan was gone before I could say anything else.

Kevin chuckled. "He's such a worry wart, but he has a reason to be. Growing up here really changes a person, whether for better or for worse. Without him, I don't think we'd be here now, not as we are. I'd probably be dead, the rest of the guys probably bums in the streets – "

"Hey!" Jackson protested, but he was effectively ignored as the rest of them sniggered.

"So we owe a lot to him," Kevin went on. "But there are times when it's as if he's lost all of his marbles. Fuck, the things he'd do. If his mother ever knew, she'd – "

"Are you talking about me?"

Kevin froze and immediately clamped his mouth shut, while I giggled.

Morgan draped the blanket over my head and punched his friend on the shoulder. The impact made the other man yelp in pain. "Alright, enough of that."

He leaned down to kiss the top of my head where the blanket was still covering it. "Sleep well."

I pouted, wondering why he was so insistent on me going to sleep. It wasn't as if I was _that_ tired. I could last a little longer…

I yawned, again.

"Fine, but you have to tell me what's going on later," I told them, wrapping the blanket properly around me as I settled into a comfortable position on the floor. At least it wasn't dusty.

I heard him promise me before I closed my eyes and allowed sleep to wash over.

…

 _A body was wrapped around me. The warmth made me smile, but when I opened my eyes, I could see nothing. At first, I thought it was just the darkness, but even with my hands in front of my face, I saw nothing._

 _Panic set in quickly and when I jerked, the body next to mine shuffled and hands were on my bare shoulder. I could feel the rubbery texture and it only made my heart race faster. "Don't touch me!" I cried, swatting the hand away._

 _"Madi!"_

 _That made me stop. I knew that voice. "J-Jimmy?"_

 _The body stilled. "I… Uh… Yes. Hold on."_

 _The rubbery hand laid over my eyes and when it lifted, I could see him. His curls were longer, falling over his eyes and he was wearing a black, one-piece suit. "What is that?" I touched the strange outfit._

 _He smirked back at me. "What do you mean? I thought you liked this thing."_

 _I frowned and tried to pull some sort of memory that I knew didn't exist. I had never seen anything like this before. It was so strange, but as I thought harder, I could recall something that was foreign to me._

 _It was as if I was in another world, in a house that was grand. I had a family that was less than ideal, but I had one. I could see their faces. I even had a sister who was a bit of a troubled girl, but I loved her. I loved them all._

 _And I also loved_ _him_ _._

 _His piercing dark eyes bore into my own and he leaned down, kissing me. "Do you remember, now?"_

 _"Kind of…" Not really, but I was liking what he was doing to me. "Jimmy, why are we here? What's going on? I'm confused."_

 _"It's okay. Just let me please you." He left a trail of kisses down my body and my back arched and he reached the point between my legs. "Do you like this?" He licked my inner thigh, watching me as I moaned._

 _"You know I do," I sighed, leaning my head back so that I was happily pressing into the fluffy pillow. This place was heaven. Was that it? Had I died?_

 _As I allowed every part of my body to feel the soft, expensive material around me, something bumped between my legs. "Mm…" With a swift thrust of his hips, he was buried deep inside me. "Jimmy!"_

 _"Oh God, Madi…" He buried his face into my shoulder as we moved in unison. The rubber suit felt amazing on my skin. No wonder I liked it. "I love you so much."_

 _"'Love you., too," I panted, wrapping my legs around him._

 _The world began to explode with lights as he brought me over the edge. I let out a scream and suddenly, everything shattered around me._

…

My eyes snapped open and all I could hear were shouts and cries .

A series of gunshots sudden burst around us.

I shielded my head with my arms in alarm and felt Morgan cover me with his own body.

* * *

 _AUTHOR'S NOTE_

Sorry! This chapter is quite short, but I did a lot of editing for the last chapter and suddenly, this one didn't seem right anymore, so I had to do a lot of editing here, too.

And eeeeeek! Last episode of AHS was my favourite, so far! I'm finally getting some ideas of where I can possibly put Madi in there if I end up writing a story on it!

Thank you **Cosmo39, HerOverYonder** , guests ( **anonymouscsian, AuroraSeven, DaisyChain1993** )

 **Cosmo93** : I'm so glad you liked the bit with Morgan! There will probably be another chapter of it before everything goes back to normal and we head to canon plot, again.

 **HerOverYonder** : Hahaha! I'll definitely blame the website for the mistake. Actually… I didn't even know you can be signed on and review the same chapter twice. How did that even happen?

 **anonymouscsian** : HAHA! I thought you had created your own civilisation of people for a moment, until I figured it was probably just a typo… Maybe?

 **AuroraSeven** : I'm happy that you like Morgan! And whew! Kai…

 **DaisyChain1993** : All of you have such faith in me… Have I really been that mean? I'll see what I can do!

Thank you as well to everyone who has favourited and followed this story.

Please, leave a review if you've enjoyed this!


	27. Chapter 27

**CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN**

Sleep had been snatched away so quickly that I wondered if I had ever gotten any rest. My heart raced as I slowly regained my hearing. Everyone in the room was in a frenzy, while both Morgan and Kevin were barking out orders. The others all had their guns ready, taking positions around the room, peeking out the doors, and windows.

"What's going on?" I whispered to Morgan who was still hovering protectively over me.

His hold tightened. "This is the side of my life that I didn't want you to know about. Life here had been a day by day gamble of life or death."

"Who are they?" I couldn't imagine having people shoot at me every day. There'd be nowhere for me to run in the day.

"Rival gangs," he told me. "This is when you need to listen and do whatever I say."

I nodded. This was something completely unfamiliar to me. I had been chased by a knife before, but never a gun, which seemed infinitely more terrifying.

Morgan pushed me back and took arms himself. His sleeves were pulled up, exposing the arm of tattoos that I had never seen before, but it seemed to suit him. He also looked completely natural with the rifle in his hands.

"Here." He handed me a handgun and knife. "In case I'm not there for whatever reason. I need to know that you're not going to be defenseless if anything happens."

With wide eyes, I took the two weapons and stared at the gun. "I don't know how to use this. I've never held a gun before."

He went around me, quickly guiding my hands through the motion. I tried to remember everything, but the concept was so foreign to me. The likelihood was that I'd end up shooting myself in the foot, instead.

"You'll do fine," he reassured me. A look of regret settled on his face. "I should never have brought you here. I knew what this place was like."

"No, I wanted to be here and besides, I'm glad that I got to see the side of you that I never knew. Not only that, I got to meet Mrs. Laveau and she's a wonderful lady. Promise you'll take me here to see her, again?" I stared hopefully at him, knowing that his mother had been missing him and he probably missed her, too. Besides, she really did seem like a nice lady.

He sighed. "Only to her place. It's a little safer there."

I hugged him, wishing that I didn't have to let go. The others could take care of it. We could leave back to Jupiter.

But we didn't.

Morgan stepped back and joined the fray, while I stood back, fiddling with the gun.

Everything seemed alright at first. Although this was an old building, we were higher up, we had the advantage. The other side was far more exposed.

I managed to stay back until there was a cry of pain and my heart jumped to my throat. I went over to the fallen man who held his shoulder in agony. His eyes were clenched shut, trying to will away the pain.

"Stay back, Madison!" Kevin called to me.

I gently dragged the injured man away from the shooting and tore the hem of my dress into a long strip. I tried my best to bandage the wound. The man had stopped writhing, seemingly fallen unconscious from the pain.

Tears welled up in my eyes and I wondered what would happen if I used it on the poor man. These were strangers. These were _many_ strangers. I could never tell what they would do if they knew about my secret. I had to hope that he would be alright until he could get proper treatment.

 _Bang!_

"Fuck!" Kevin cursed, loudly, followed by a new set of orders. "They go in. Be ready for a close confrontation."

I swallowed. My hand went back to the cold metal of the gun. I didn't have much choice now, did I? Soon, the other gang was going to arrive.

Closer and closer, the sound of enemy gunfire travelled up the building. It echoed through the stairwell. From here, there wasn't anywhere to run. I couldn't tell if this was a normal occurrence or if this was a particularly unlucky day.

Morgan came up beside me, an arm around my waist.

We waited in silence as the gunshots finally ceased from beyond the door. Was that because our side won or their side won? Were we about to be ambushed?

The clock ticked on loudly. Each second felt like an hour. I felt as if I had been staring at the door for an eternity when suddenly, it slammed open and a rain of bullets came down on us. I let out a scream, ducking my head behind the metal table. I could hear cries of pain from all around me.

Where had Morgan gone? Was he amongst the fallen?

When I gathered enough courage, I peeked over the side. There were bodies everywhere. I wasn't sure who was who, but I did notice a gun being aimed at me.

I quickly moved back behind the table. My heart was racing in my chest. I wondered how much longer the table was going to hold. I could see the indents poking out. There must've been a pool of bullets just on the other side.

"Look what I found here."

I turned and saw him looking over the table.

Instinctively, I pointed my own gun at him. I tried to remember everything Morgan taught me, but my hands were shaking so much that I wasn't even sure if I could manage to pull the trigger.

"Move!" I heard Morgan shout my way.

I flung my body to the side and heard the gunshot, followed by a body falling.

"I think that's it," he told me, checking my trembling form for any injuries.

"I'm alright," I muttered, holding on to his shirt. I noticed the tears in the fabric and the red stains. "Are you alright? You're hurt."

"I'm fine." He kissed my forehead and assessed the damage around the room. There was blood everywhere. Several had their heads blown out and the content strewn across the room. "Kevin?"

"H-here," a groan came from the opposite corner. "Fuck! That one was bad. Who's still alive?"

There was a quiet murmur from the survivors.

"Looks like we won," he sighed. "Barely…"

I swallowed back my meal before it could come spewing out on to the floor. I didn't want to be here anymore. How could these people live like this?

"That was quite a hit," Morgan said. "You'll be okay?"

"Yeah… Yeah… We'll mange like we always do," Kevin replied. "Hardest part is just telling the families… But don't' worry about us. Take your girl back home. She doesn't belong here. We'll take care of your other problem. Don't worry about it."

The survivors were already dragging the bodies away as if it was nothing. Weren't they friends? Brothers in arms?

My eyes caught sight of a familiar face being carried out. His chest looked as if someone had used it as a pin cushion. I could swear that I saw right through parts of his body.

"Don't look," Morgan mumbled to me, pressing my face against his chest as I cried. "Kevin, you don't have to do this. You have enough to deal with here. I shouldn't have put this on you." From the way his jaws clenched, I could tell how stressed he was. "Keegan finally ran out of lives, huh?"

Another body went by. Half of his face was missing, revealing the shattered skull and flesh beneath. There were spots of grey that I could only assume was the brain.

I gagged.

"He knew that it must've been coming. Pretty sure he had at least seven close calls. Lost a couple of fingers, an ear… It's finally caught up to him." Kevin closed his eyes. "Go. Go. I'll hit you up if I find anything."

Morgan nodded and with one arm around my waist, he led me away. Throughout the entire walk down the stairs, there were bodies slumped over. None of them moved.

When we were out, I felt the tears fall again. "Is that h-how you lived as a child? I-It's so h-horrible…"

"Unfortunately," he said. "Whether you were in a gang or not, you had a fifty-fifty chance of being found dead in an abandoned alley the next morning."

"Morgan, I – " I stopped when something caught my eye. There was a shadow that looked off in the darkness. Whites glinted, catching the light of the slowly rising sun. Something was pointed at us. "Look out!" I pushed us to the side just as the gun sounded.

Morgan let out a string of curses and fired back at the man who fell over dead. "God damn it… Let's hurry and leave."

I helped him into the car and he immediately started up the vehicle. The scenery flew by. I noticed that one hand was always clutching his side. His eyes were glued on the road, sweat building up the side of his face and trickling down.

"Are you alright?" I asked, touching the hand. It flinched, barely, but I could see the liquid coating the fingers. "You're hurt! Stop the car! Pull over, Morgan!" Why didn't he tell me?

"I'll get you home first. Your Jimmy would kill me if you're hurt," he chuckled. It was strained. The pain was evident in his voice.

"Morgan! Pull. Over!" I repeated. 'You'll get us both killed if you drive in this condition. Besides, I doubt the other gang will be following us this far. Just let me see that, alright? I can help you."

I knew that there had to have been many fatally injured, but not dead, yet, in the building, but I couldn't risk so many people knowing about me. Morgan was a different story. He already knew most of my secrets. I knew I could trust him to never use me for their own benefit.

The car began to slow down before he swerved slightly to the right, away from the road. His body leaned back. 'I'll get the car dirty if I let go."

I glared at him. "You can afford another, but not if you die. Just let me see it. Take off your shirt."

His eyes darkened, but he didn't argue. His torn dress shirt was thrown into the back seat and I could see the faded scars all over his body. He must've been through a lot, but the wound he had just acquired looked deadly. There wasn't an exit hole. "I'll do it," he said, realising the same thing.

His large fingers dug around. I cringed at the wet sound coming from it. "Keeps… Slipping…"

I swallowed. "Let me try. I'm sorry. This is going to hurt a lot." I hesitantly placed my hand on his wound and slipped my index finger into the hole. I held back a gag when I felt around the soft flesh. It was disgusting.

"Madison, you don't – "

"No! I can do this. Just let me help you for once," I cut him off.

He covered his eyes with his arm and I took it as permission to continue. Finally, I felt the hard metal and my finger slipped around it several times before I managed to pull it out.

When it fell on to the seat, we both let out a sigh of relief, but the wound was now bleeding heavily. Panic grew. This had to work. This had to be more than a fluke.

"I'll wrap it with – "

I cut him off, again. "Let me handle it." I bit my tongue hard enough for tears to spring out of my eyes. I quickly wipe it off with my other hand and touched the gaping hole. I waited and waited, but nothing happened. Why wasn't it working?

I wiped off the blood on my dress and tried again.

Nothing.

"Madison…"

"I can do this!" I cried. The tears were now flowing freely without help. In fact, I wouldn't have been able to stop them even if I tried. I brought my face closer to the wound. It looked silly, but that didn't matter, now when his life was on the line.

The tears dropped directly on to the bloody mess and this time, he jerked back in pain. HE tried to push me away, but I held us both as still as possible. Relief filled me and when the tears finally stopped, the wound was almost fully healed. There was only an angry red mark left behind.

I wiped it clean with my dirtied dress.

"You're a miracle worker," he breathed, touching his side in disbelief.

"It's not very efficient. I guess it has to directly fall from my eyes or something obscure like that. Maybe it loses its power in a few seconds, but… but…" The tears stubbornly fell again and I quickly wiped them away. "But I'm just glad you're alright."

His eyes softened and he brought me into a hug. "I'm not someone you need to worry about."

"And why is that?" I demanded.

"I was meant to die in that town years ago. If I died because of it now, it would all be the same," he told me.

I fervently shook my head. "That's not true. You have a life in Jupiter, now. You have friends. You have _me._ We care about you. You can't just throw your life away like that as if it isn't going to leave all of us hurt and broken over your death. Even if you don't' care about yourself, think about the people you're leaving behind!"

But I knew what he must've felt. He had to fight for so long – to think that every fight had to be fought alone and to think that every fight could be the last. But that didn't have to be true anymore. There were other people who cared. People who'll cry and mourn and wonder what could've been. There were people who could help.

"Don't ever think that your life doesn't matter because it does. It matters so, so much," I finished my rant with another sob. My own experiences were leaking through. I had to fight alone all my life, too, but now… I had friends. I knew that these people were going to help me when I needed it. Morgan just needed to realise that it was the same for him.

He said nothing for the longest time. We sat in silence in the unmoving car. Briefly, I wondered if I had overstepped my boundaries, but it was a fleeting thought. His life meant too much to me.

"Alright," he finally said. 'If for no one else, I'll live for you."

My lips formed into a watery smile. "Good, because Is wear… If you died, I'd find a way to hunt you down and never make you forget that you broke a promise to me."

We shared a chuckle at the thought of my tiny form trying to hunt him down.

Once he had his shirt back on, he started up the car again and drove us quickly down the deserted road. The sun was rising quickly. We had spent far too long in the town and in the car after. I had the blanket over myself to keep from burning up.

When I was home, the camp was quiet. It was peaceful here. T He contrast was amazing. I had never been as happy to be in Jupiter as I was, now.

"Good night, Madison." Morgan kissed the top of my head an slipped back into the car. I watched the black vehicle disappear and dragged my feet into Jimmy's tent.

I shed my shoes and bloodied dress and just snuggled up against him.

He mumbled something incoherent, pulling me closer and burying his face into my hair.

I couldn't imagine losing all of this, now.

* * *

 _AUTHOR'S NOTE_

For a fleeting moment, I contemplated killing Morgan, but changed my mind last moment. I hope I made the right decision. Either way, it's back to Jimmy! I know some of you have been missing him, lately. I promise it'll snap back to the canon plot.

Also, the latest episode of AHS: Cult. Wow… I love it. I think I was grinning like a maniac the entire time. Is that normal? Should I be concerned? This season is definitely one of my favourites. I really, really hope it goes the way I want it to go.

Thank you **Cosmo39, Mystery Angle** , guests ( **anonymouscsifan, Guest, AuroraSeven, DaisyChain1993** ) for reviewing!

 **Cosmo39** : Haha! I'm glad you like Morgan's story. I couldn't resist slipping in the rubber suit.

 **anonymouscsifan** : Oops! I should've been more specific. I was referring to your name for the last review. It was spelled differently. I'm not sure exactly when Bloody Face began his murders… The only thing I could find mentioned Kit being framed in 1964.

 **Mystery Angle** : I still need to watch Hotel. I'm a little nervous. Once I finish watching that, I'll be all caught up with AHS.

 **Guest** : Thank you!

 **AuroraSeven** : Maaaaaaaybe regarding the rubber suit. And don't worry! Jimmy's coming back!

 **DaisyChain1993** : A little more Morgan for you!

Thank you as well to everyone who has favourited and followed this story.

Please, leave a review if you liked this!


	28. Chapter 28

**CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT**

I never told Jimmy what happened that day. When he asked about my dress, I told him that we had hit an animal and I tried to save it. He was suspicious, but seeing my tired look, he accepted my words at face value. I felt bad for lying to him, but it wasn't as if there was anything he could've done about it and I didn't want him to blame Morgan for any of it because it wasn't his fault. No one could've anticipated what had happened there. I was just glad that I was home and back in his arms. That was all that mattered.

I knew that we had promised to never keep secrets anymore, but I felt as if this was something that didn't need to be said. I didn't plan for it to ever happen, again. There was also a part of me that felt as if Morgan and I hadn't accomplished anything towards Jimmy's case. I loved Mrs. Laveau, but I didn't think any of those men were in any position to help us. They had their own problems to worry about.

"I'll be back, Madi." He kissed my lips and I saw him jog out of the tent. Right before the flap came back down, I caught a glimpse of Maggie Esmeralda. Dread bubbled at the pit of my stomach.

…

Jimmy knew that Madi was lying to him. After she came back from her excursion, she had been shaken up. He felt her crawl into bed and felt the tears that hit his bare skin. He wanted to confront her, but perhaps that hadn't been the best time. If she wanted to talk to him about it, he would always be there to listen. Besides, it wouldn't be fair to her to press on the issue, not when he was keeping a secret that could finally break them apart for the last time. He also knew that he couldn't hide it from her forever.

He wondered if there was a way to have Maggie keep her mouth shut. He left Madi to talk to the ex-fortune teller and she was already waiting for him by the tent. He cursed and quickly dragged her away. "What are you doing here?" he hissed.

She crossed her arms. "You said you wanted to talk, so I decided to go to you. Why? Afraid your little dead girl will see you talking to me? You might want to talk to her about getting that fixed. Her obsession is unhealthy."

He narrowed his eyes at her. "She is _not_ obsessed." If anything, he was the one obsessed. Being even a night away from her made him anxious. He had imagined all the grisly ways she'd die or how Morgan would finally steal her away from him. "And _don't_ call her that!"

With a roll of her eyes, she replied. "Okay, so you're _both_ obsessed. Whatever. What did you want to talk about?"

He quickly dragged her off to the side and told her of his concerns. As expected, she didn't seem to care, at all.

"That's your problem, isn't it? My only responsibility is to give birth to this bastard. Unless, of course, I kill this spawn first. That would solve everything, wouldn't it?" she told him.

"No!" he quickly interjected. Even though this wasn't the baby he wanted, it had done nothing wrong. It didn't deserve to die. "We'll figure something else out."

Maggie sneered at him. The way her face looked now, he wondered why he ever thought her beautiful. When she first arrived, he thought she was the most beautiful woman he had ever laid his eyes upon. He thought she had been the perfect distraction to his compulsive attraction to Madi. Now, he regret it all. His life could've been so different if he allowed his heart to make the decisions. Maggie probably would've found someone else if he hadn't led her on for so long.

Because of this, he felt responsible for the baby.

"Look, if you need money, I'll do my best to support the baby. If you don't want to take care of it, I'll think of a way to do it myself. The baby hasn't done anything wrong," he told her.

She didn't seem too impressed. "And before that? What am I going to do when I look like a whale and people start asking me questions? I'm not a whore, Jimmy! If you're not going to own up to this, I'll tell everyone myself!"

"Just give me time, okay?!" he groaned. "I'll figure it out!"

He thought they would've been able to sort it out by now, but it seemed like this mess was just getting messier with each passing day.

Maggie shook her head at him and stormed off.

He felt like a failure. While Madi was getting her life together, he was destroying any perfect future they could've had together.

"Jimmy, practise!" he heard Elsa bark at him.

Suppressing a scream of frustration, he dragged his feet dejectedly into the tent.

He sat on the floor, watching everyone try to incorporate themselves into the new line of acts. He thought Chester had been an alright guy at first, but the way he kept begging for attention was beginning to annoy him.

It didn't help that everyone else seemed to be worshipping the very floor he walked on. What was so great about the gag, anyway? Sure, he had a pretty face and a charismatic front, but that was all superficial.

As he sulked, he saw someone else slowly glide in. The blanket draped over their body made him smile. She was so cute. He wasn't going to let anyone or anything ruin their relationship. "Ma – "

"Madison!" Chester greeted her. His arms were spread out and hugged her right as the blanket fell from her head.

She looked startled when the other man kept his arms around her shoulder and he guided her to the stage. "Watch this!" He brought out his dummies and performed his act for her.

Her eyes wandered over to him and she shot him a nervous smile, while he seethed inside. How dare this man think he could just steal her away like that?

She patted the seat beside hers and he immediately went over. "Hi, Jimmy." Her eyes sparkled at him once she was safely at his side.

He let out a sigh and rested his head on top of hers.

Chester continued on with his act and even he had to admit that the ventriloquist was very good with what he did. His mouth was still as if he wasn't talking at all and the puppets moved their lips in perfect harmony to the words.

"Look! Look! I have something else, too!" Chester went on after the dummies' silly banter. He brought out a small pouch and began to pull things out of it. Each object was bigger than the next. Eventually, they were bigger than the bag itself and he briefly wondered if the bag was somehow bigger on the inside. Sure, Chester was also a self-proclaimed magician, but he doubt he could somehow create space from nothing. How exactly did he do it?

"He's good," Madi commented to him. Her gaze was glued to the stage, a small smile on her lips.

"Yeah…" he quietly agreed. "Better than me?"

She looked teasingly at him. "Do you really want me to answer that?"

He felt his bottom lip poke out in a pout. "Madi…!"

She laughed. "Even _you're_ not impressed with it, but don't worry, I'll help you think of something better and you'll be able to upstage him," she said, pecking his cheek.

He smiled back at her. "Sounds good." He was actually looking forward to it. He never had a reason to change up his routine before, but now that he had someone to impress, juggling doesn't seem like it's enough anymore.

It'll also help him keep his mind off the other situation.

Once Elsa finally allowed him to run free, it was already dark. He fully expected a black car to take Madi away from him, but none care. Another hour went by before he asked her why she wasn't at work.

She hesitated and he thought of everything she could be keeping from him. "Not tonight," she sighed. "Morgan is giving me some time off and I have enough saved up to appease Elsa." She buried her face into the crook of his neck. "Let's just spend the time together, alright?"

The moment her body pressed against his, he was undone. All the worries went away and replaced by the sensation of her all around him.

Her soft, naked body moved with his as they made love over and over, again. Her cries were enough to drive him mad as he brought her over the edge one last time before he came with her. "I love you," he groaned, kissing the top of her head as she snuggled up to him.

It was when everything was quiet again did the fear and worry come surging back. The dread made it impossible to fall asleep. He'd open his eyes every few minutes to make sure that a head of brown hair was tucked beneath his chin.

He held her a little tighter. "I'm not going to lose you, Madi."

When morning came, his fatigued mind was full of fluff. HE carefully pulled away from Madi and sluggishly got ready for the day. With one more glance at her, he left.

The sun was blocked by the clouds. The chilly draft signified that winter was just around the corner. His sleeveless shirt was a poor choice of attire, but he was going to be late if he went back to change.

"Hey, Jimmy!" Paul waved him over when he arrived for a quick breakfast. "How's the firebird doing? She's been looking down, lately."

Everyone had been calling her 'firebird' sine she came back and _somehow_ magically healed him. He was glad that Stanley was missing every since he came back from prison. If that man knew, he could only imagine what the slimy bastard would do to her.

"She's fine. Tired. We both are. After all, I'm kind of still on borrowed time until they put me behind the slammer, again." It wasn't something he liked to think about, but it was true. It was only a matter of time. Things like these ever go in their favour. Look at Peep…

His self-loathing returned ten folds when he thought of the poor, innocent man who wouldn't even hurt a fly. It was his fault. Peep hadn't done anything wrong. He had been the one to kill the cop.

Paul's carefree expression damped. "That really sucks. Whoever framed you won't get away with it."

If only… How many criminals got away with their crimes when another scapegoat had to suffer the punishment? It wasn't anything that should surprise people, anymore. Eventually, karma would catch up to them. "Whatever happens, I Just hope Madi is well taken care of." Of course, there was the rich and well-built Morgan. He really didn't want to think of the other man being intimate with her, but if it came to it… He knew he'd be able to trust Morgan to take care of her.

"Hey, man. Don't look like that. It'll be fine." Paul looked almost nervously at him as if he was going to lash out at a second's notice. A pang of guilt hit him. He really _had_ been wretched, hadn't he? "I'll… we'll look after her for you until you get out."

There was no chance he'd ever get out if he went back in, but that wasn't something he wanted to think about anymore. "Don't worry about it," he sighed. 'Whatever happens… It'll happen." There was no use putting the burden on his friends. He had done enough to them already. 'Thanks for being such a good friend, Paul. Really appreciate it."

Paul's face smoothed over and a smile quirked his lips "Yeah. No problem. That's what friends are for, yeah? Oh, and Desiree wanted me to tell you that we're gonna have a party, tonight. Elsa okayed it since we've been getting more business. That Chester guy is really something, huh?"

"Yeah…" Like Morgan, Chester seemed like the perfect gentleman who could get anything he wanted. With all of them suddenly apeparing, why would Madi even stay with him? HE was a mutated, broke nobody. He's killed, he's stolen, he's cheated. He was trash. If he was in her position, he would get away as fast as possible. "I'll tell Madi about it, later. She'll want to go."

"Penny, too. All those women are gonna end up teaming up against us one day, won't they?" Paul laughed.

He nodded. "They're really something."

Practise went smoothly, as did the shows after. Even he had notice that more than the front row was being filled up. They always cheered the most during Chester's acts. As much as Elsa hated how sporadic the new addition was and how he never seemed to go along with the script, she couldn't deny that it was bringing in more money than she had seen in years. In fact, he could see a certain disinterest in her lately. Whereas she would used to throw a fit whenever she wasn't the centre of attention, she no longer did that. Sometimes, she'd be absent altogether.

He wondered if this was the beginning of the end of their show. What were they going to do if Elsa disbands the troupe? Would they try to keep the shows going? It was all they knew. They really had nowhere else to go, but… both his parents were dead, now. If he had to, he would take Madi and go anywhere.

 _Anywhere._

From the corner of his eyes, he spotted one of the policemen who had arrested him. He was standing by the entrance with his arms crossed. Was he going to be taken back?

While he worried the entire evening, the man left before the show as over without any disturbance. He didn't know why he was there, but he was glad that he was still somewhat of a free man. There was still too much he wanted to do.

When the show ended, eh quickly went to his tent to find Madi doing stretches on the bed. His eyes widened at how her back was arching and how far her legs were spread. He knew she was flexible, but this was creating a whole new slew of fantasies running through his head.

"Madi," he quietly called out to her, careful not to startle her.

She turned to him with a wide smile. "Jimmy!" She brought her legs back down and sat up. "You're back!"

He nodded mutedly back at her. He was contemplating whether to mention the party to her or not. Her really didn't want to share her with anyone, but he knew if both of them were missing from the party, a few of the others were going to come bursting in. That was the last thing he needed: the others seeing him thoroughly ravishing his tiny brunette.

He groaned, running his hand through his hair and regretfully told her about the gathering.

She bounced to her feet excitedly and flung her sleeping attire off without a second's notice, exposing her pale skin.

He swallowed hard, watching her shuffle around deciding what to wear. All he could do was nod at every question she threw at him and gawked as she finally slipped on a new dress that she had purchased with her money.

It was a flowy, red dress that ended at her knees. The hem swished around with each step she took, teasing him with brief sightings of her thighs.

He tried his best to look away, but found his eyes straying continuously to her milky, white flesh.

When they arrived at the bonfire, almost everyone was already there. Several faces were missing, but he doubt that they were going to appear any time soon. They weren't much for festivities. Among the attendees, however, was Chester, who was not shy testing some more of his tricks.

Jimmy was jealous of the way everyone seemed to flock towards him. He couldn't ever imagine being that comfortable talking about himself or showing off to the others. There had to be something wrong with him. No one is _that_ perfect.

"Jimmy, why is Esmeralda looking at you like that?" he heard Madi whisper to him, uncertainty in her voice as he looked over to the blonde. The dark glare being sent his way was murderous.

He pulled her close and kissed her head. "It's nothing. She's just jealous. Remember that you'll always be the one for me. There will never be anyone else but you."

She beamed back at him – a happiness that he never wanted to go away.

Now, if only there was a way to get rid of his problem…

* * *

 _AUTHOR'S NOTE_

Thank you **WickedlyMinx,** guests ( **anonymouscsifan, AuroraSeven, DaisyChain1993** ) for reviewing!

 **anonymouscsifan** : So many questions for AHS: Cult! I hope it turns out favourable for Kai! I was talking to my friend about him (she has no idea anything about AHS), but I realised that he's dead or dies in almost all seasons, except one.

 **AuroraSeven** : I'm thinking of writing a little spin off where Madi ends up with Morgan. I'll announce it here if I ever get around to it, but I know I will be starting a spinoff one-shot series , soon. I already have one in progress.

 **DaisyChain1993** : More Morgan will come, soon!

 **WickedlyMinx** : Oh, no! I hope I wasn't lost in some old, dusty closet! Glad I'm finally found, again!

Thank you as well to everyone who has favourited and follow this story.

Please, leave a review if you enjoyed this!


	29. Chapter 29

**CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE**

I danced with Jimmy around the fire. We moved like two idiots, swimming in the freedom that was rarely granted to us. The entire time, I found it difficult to ignore the burning glare Maggie was shooting our way.

It felt as if something had happened between her and Jimmy. It had been a relatively long time since she had bothered us. I knew that something must've rekindled her ire. It was increasingly concerning that Jimmy was being so close-lipped about it.

I knew I wasn't being an open book myself, but this was Maggie Esmeralda. She was the one who had torn us apart before. I had no doubt that she hadn't given up on Jimmy. It was difficult pushing back the insecurities no matter how he tried to reassure me.

"You'll tell me if something is wrong, won't you?" I asked, laying my head on his chest as the party began to wind down.

We were resting on the grass with the stars twinkling down on us. The dying fire kept us warm from the chilly air that was covering the entirety of Jupiter.

"Of course," he replied after a moment. His eyes were far away, his mind accompanying them. "Don't worry, Madi. We'll be okay. We'll be okay." It sounded as if he was trying to convince himself more than anything, but I let it slide. What else was I to do? I couldn't force it out of him and he wasn't willing to volunteer me the information.

We stayed cuddling together until the sky turned purple, pink, and then a dark burnt orange. I didn't want to leave from my spot in his arms. Despite the internal dilemma, it was actually very peaceful there.

I let out a sigh, nuzzling his neck before whispering," We should go, unless you want a dusty Madi in your arms."

He groaned. "I wish our lives could be normal. I don't need a house with a white picket fence, but… I just want to be able to live like everyone else."

"I'm sorry…" I knew it was difficult being constant to living only in the darkness. I t wasn't something I'd ever force on anyone. "I wish I could give you that."

He chuckled. "It's not you. I wouldn't want you any other way,. It's everything else. I'm a wanted man, Madi. They may have gotten me bail, but it won't be long before I'll be behind bars, again, or worse… They'd give me the chair."

"It's not going to happen, Jimmy!" I protested. "Morgan and Charlie and I are doing our best. I know that we'll find the real culprit." We were going to pin it on Dandy Mott. Even if he was innocent of this, there was more than enough he had to repent for.

As the sun moved across the field, Jimmy scooped me up and ran, screaming and laughing, into his tent. He threw me on to the bed, his hand never leaving the dress I had on.

"I've wanted to take this off you, all night," he groaned.

I giggled, wiggling beneath him. "I don't ever want this to end," I sighed, but I knew that It was wishful thinking. There was so much we had to fight through before we could even breathe easy.

"I know. I know."

Too soon, Jimmy had to leave. I knew that he had had no sleep. I hadn't done much better. Despite having small reprieves from the real world, once a single thought of the impending uphill battle coming, it was all clawed away from me.

Sleep evaded me even when he was gone. Moments of irrational fear would hit me. I was afraid that while I was stuck here, someone was going to take him away.

It wasn't long before I was on my feet, glancing at the sliver of light that cut through the dim glow within the tent. I wanted to go see him. I wanted to make sure that he wasn't going to disappear.

My hand snatched up the old, raggedy blanket that had become my protestor from the sun and flung it over me. Through the months, I had become very familiar with the layout of the camp sight. I avoided _almost_ every obstacle.

Eventually, I was at the show tent. I peeked in, seeing just about everyone, except Jimmy. As I was about to leave, Chester caught sight of me and called me over.

"Look! I got my hands on this recently!" He gestured to the magic box on the stage. "Isn't it simply magnificent?" His right eye twitched. "Sit! Sit! Watch! Or maybe you would like to help me? I _do_ need an assistant and everyone seems to have their own jobs already."

His hands were trembling. It was slight, but noticeable. His eyes darted left and right as if he was expecting something to jump out of the shadows.

"I'm… actually looking for jimmy. Sorry!" As I was about to leave, he caught my wrist, keeping me in place. His grip was uncomfortably tight. "What are you doing? Let go!" I tried to shake him off, but he was much stronger than me. I was going to end up dislocating my shoulder at this rate.

"Come on, Chest… You're hurting her," Paul interjected.

Everyone's eyes were on us.

He swallowed, casting a quick glance at two creepy dummies sitting in the front row before letting go. He straightened up his shirt and cleared his throat. All the nervous ticks were gone as if he had snapped back to reality and he was completely composed, again "I apologise. I don't know what came over me." He walked back up the stage. "But please, I really would appreciate it if you at least watch. I love hearing constructive criticism."

I shared a nervous glance with Eve who had her arms crossed. I was sure that my friends wouldn't let anything happen to me and I knew that logically, Jimmy wasn't able to simply disappear into thin air. What was there to worry about?

With a deep breath, I nodded, sitting myself into the middle seat.

He beamed back at me, gesturing to Maggie Esmeralda who rolled her eyes. "Well, I guess it can't be helped. We'll have to use the prettiest lady on site. Come. Come. I will show you the most spectacular trick you have ever seen."

At the compliment, Maggie reluctantly walked up beside him and slide into the opened box. From my angle, only her head, arms, and feet were still visible.

"Watch as I chain her down." He clicked the metal cuffs on to her, while she looked as if she wanted to start struggling, but decided to trust the strange magician, instead. His eyes went to the dummies, again. "I, Chester Crebbs, is the most amazing magician in the world and with this saw, I will cut her in half and put her back together!"

Maggie began to shake her head. "W-Wait! I haven't gotten out of the chains, yet! You can't start sawing!"

Chester didn't seem to hear any of her protests. "Behold! The greatest trick in the world!"

I didn't think he was actually going to start sawing through the box. I didn't think _anyone_ expected it, but there he was, slicing through with absolutely no mind of everyone shouting at him.

I was on my feet, slowly shuffling through the rows of chains, my eyes fixated on the stage in disbelief. "Chester… I think you're actually going to cut through her if you keep going…" But it was no use. He wasn't listening to a word anyone was saying.

In fact, his eyes remained on the dummies the entire time as if they were the only ones in the tent. As if they were encouraging him to do it and he was absolutely powerless to their commands.

From all around me, the shouts became screams.

I could see the moment the blade hit her. Her scream was bloodcurdling. My feet raced up the stairs and I tried to pull Chester away, but it was as if he had suddenly become an unmoveable force. "Chester! Stop! You'll kill her!"

It was no use. Blood began to spurt out everywhere. It covered her face. It covered a wide radius around the box. It was all over Chester and me.

I backed away, shaking my head in horror. That could've been me… I could've been the one in the box being cut in half. Would I have survived it? Even if I did, I couldn't imagine the pain she went through.

No matter how much I hated her, I never wanted her to die.

"What have you done?" I whispered.

He finally seemed to snap out of his moment of insanity. Realisation hit him as he looked around at our shocked faces. He hesitantly put the saw down and began to unlock the box. "D-don't worry… It's all part of the magic. The legs aren't even hers! It's a doll I set up. Look! She's fine!" He tried to open the box with his shaky hands, but his body leaned too far forward and the two halves split in two.

I let out a sheik when blood gushed out, along with tubes of white slid down on to the floor with a wet plop. "Oh, my God…" I shook my head, backing away from the lunatic.

"Let's get out of here." Eve quickly pulled me away. "We'll get Elsa, tell her what happened, and… and we'll tell the police about Chester."

I nodded, my eyes still wide with shock. My heart was pounding in my chest and raced to my head, making everything sound muffled. As much as I loved everyone here, I couldn't stay in this chaos anymore. It was only a matter of time before we all dropped like flies.

"What the Hell happened to you?" Elsa barked upon seeing me when the cover dropped to the floor.

"I – I…" Tears began to fall uncontrollably from my eyes. Just thinking about what happened was making my brain shut down. I didn't want to relive it. I didn't want to have the image of her broken, bloody body stuck in my head.

Desiree put her arms around me, while Eve quietly retold the story to Elsa. "It's okay, darling. He's going to be dealt with."

I buried my face into her shoulder. I wanted Jimmy. "I want t-to get out of these c-clothes…"

I heard her talking to Penny, but I couldn't register a word she was saying. I blindly followed her and nearly walked straight into the sun if she hadn't thrown the blanket over me at the last second.

When I finally arrived inside, again, my legs gave up on me.

"Madi?!'

"I'll leave her to you," Desiree told Jimmy. "Don't push her too hard. She's had a very hard day."

He pulled me into his arms and only asked me a few questions but all I could do was cry all over him. I clung on as tightly as I could, afraid that I, too, would lose my grip on reality if I let go. How I wished that today was nothing but a horrible nightmare. Why couldn't I have just stayed in the tent? Clearly, Jimmy was fine. No one took him away.

Once I was calm enough to speak without bursting into tears again, I began to tell Jimmy what happened. "He wanted me to be his assistant at first, but I was looking for you. I was going to leave when… when he got me curious with all his talk and magic. I wanted to see what his new act was about. Maggie ended up taking my place. S-she went in…"

"In where?" He frowned at me, checking me over to make sure that I wasn't injured before helping me out of the bloody clothes.

"In the box! His stupid magic box – the one where you saw the person in half!" I exclaimed, feeling the hysteria quickly returning. "And it looked like he knew what he was doing, but then Maggie started to panic and she screamed. She screamed so loudly, Jimmy! There was blood everywhere. I tried to stop him, but I couldn't… She's dead, Jimmy! He killed her!" I broke down, collapsing on to my knees.

Jimmy was silent as I cried. He had let go of me after hearing what happened to her. I didn't know what to think. I kept seeing the blood flying everywhere. It was so warm and her body… I had never seen anything like it.

"Jimmy…" I called out to him once my tears ran dry and my eyes hurt from rubbing them. "Jimmy, tell me what you are thinking." He was so very silent.

"I…" He stopped. His feet began to pace and he ran his hand anxiously through his hair. "Would you have been able to survive that?"

The same question had popped up in my mind, my somehow, it sounded different out of his mouth. It was almost… accusatory, as if he was wondering if I could've been in her place instead. As if for some reason, he'd rather have her here with him than me.

The paint hat hit me was fast and quickly growing. I knew there had been something going on between them. I had pushed away the insecurities and hoped for the best, but now… Now, I wondered if I had been too naïve. "I don't know, Jimmy. I – "

"She was pregnant with my child," he suddenly blurted out.

Whatever I expected, that wasn't it. I thought that he was only sneaking around behind my back. I thought it was something that would eventually fade, but not a child.

A child was permanent.

A child _would've_ been permanent.

When did he find out – after I came back with Morgan? When did he get her pregnant? When as the last time he had slept with her?

I tried so desperately not to get jealous of a dead woman, but the feeling burned hot and painfully. It ravaged anything else that was racing through my head.

I clutched his blanket tight in my first before letting it go. Instead, I went over to Morgan's coat and threw it over me. I needed air. I needed to be away from here. Everything was moving far too quickly. I felt as if I was losing grip of all form of control. Life was going on without me and I was absolutely terrified what that would mean.

I ran out with no destination in mind. I ran and ran as I had done many times before. I ran until the road disappeared and the trees covered the surround in a thick layer of darkness. I ran until I could run no more and my next step brought me airborne and sent me tumbling down. And when I was done, I could run no more. All energy had been sapped out of me. I wanted to just lay here, wrapped in Morgan's coat and wished that I had gone over to him, instead, but he had already done far too much for me already. I couldn't keep bothering him.

I had to deal with Jimmy on my own, but why? Why did loving him have to hurt so much?

A wisp of green licked at my legs. I looked blurrily around and saw that a cloud of green mist had settled around me.

It was familiar. I had seen this before. In fact, it was in this very forest and by the broken trailer, at this very spot as well. I hadn't realised where exactly I ended up, until now and when he stepped out fully clad in black and a grim look on his face, I was ready.

He walked up to me, looking down with dark, dark eyes. "Your soul is calling out to me, Madison. Its song is irresistible. You're triggering a hunger that I thought I had sated."

He crouched down and stroked my hair, rubbing the strands in his long fingers.

"I'm so hungry all the time," he told me. "We all are."

From behind him, I could see the rest of his people waiting.

Was I to join them?

* * *

 _AUTHOR'S NOTE_

Thank you **HerOverYonder** and guest ( **anonymouscsifan** ) for reviewing!

 **anonymouscsifan** : Well… There you have it… Maggie has been taken out. At the moment, I still haven't watched the latest episode of AHS:Cult, yet. I've never been behind until now! I'll probably watch it after I post this or tomorrow. I do feel like the connection to Freak Show I've seen for now, is terribly weak and not even worth mentioning. Maybe the episode I haven't seen will prove me wrong, but who knows?

 **HerOverYonde** r: Yay! You're… almost… caught up! Uuummm… decent ending? May I have the definition? The language of origin?

Thank you as well to everyone as well who has favourited and followed this story.

Please, leave a review if you enjoyed this.


	30. Chapter 30

**CHAPTER THIRTY**

Jimmy watched her run away. His mind was in turmoil. He wanted to go after her, but all he could think about was the child he never got to know. As much as he wanted his problem with Maggie to come to an end, this was not how he wanted it to turn out. He never wanted Maggie dead. A part of him was actually looking forward to seeing his child. Was it a boy or girl? Would they look more like him or Maggie?

Would Madi have loved the child?

He didn't know how much time had passed since she left, but he could recall how traumatised she looked, covered in blood. Her eyes were wide and slightly unfocussed and when she reached out to him, all he could do was hold her. And then, of course, his mouth ran away from him and he drove her away, again.

What an idiot!

He left the tent and noticed that the sun had long since set. The sky was dark. Almost everyone was indoors already. He noticed that police hadn't come storming in like he had expected. He also saw Chester's tent was gone. There was nothing left of the man here as if he had never existed.

"Madi?" The sense of déjà vu weighed heavy at the bottom of his stomach. "Madi, can we talk?"

Eve walked out of her trailer, wondering why he was wandering around, shouting. He really didn't know how to tell her what happened. The likelihood was that she was going to knock him a new one because he knew he had managed to fuck it all up with Madi, again.

But he didn't need to explain it to her. One look at him and she knew. She knew that he had gone and messed everything up.

With a shake of her head, she turned and left, not back into her trailer, but towards Desiree who was pacing outside as if she was trying to keep herself together.

He trailed after Eve, watching the two interact. They were whispering to each other before they both turned to look at him at the same time.

Eventually, they gathered more and more people, until everyone was outside, wondering what was going on.

"Why can't you ask dear Jimmy Darling there?" Desiree gestured grandly to him.

"L-Look… I think Madi and I had a misunderstanding after she told me what happened to Maggie. I never meant to hurt her, but she's missing. I don't know where she went or if someone took her."

"Should've thought about that before running his white boy mouth, again," he heard Desiree mutter.

"I think I saw her run by over there," Barbara mumbled, nibbling on a biscuit. She was looking over to the woods. "Not sure, though. I couldn't tell if it was really her, but I know someone went in there earlier. Couldn't see their face. It was covered up."

It had to be her.

He went over and hugged Barbara who patted his back awkwardly. He didn't even mind the crumbs getting all over his shirt. "Thanks, Barbara. I'm really sorry with how I treated you. I was taking out all my self-hatred on you and it just wasn't right. I'm really sorry."

"Yeah, don't worry." She shrugged. It wasn't as if she was romantically interested in Jimmy, either. Sure, he was handsome and he was good in the sack, but it was fleeting. She thought maybe he could help her with her own insecurities. Someone like him hardly liked girls like her. IN the end, she realised that it really didn't matter. Despite what she thought, he really didn't make her any happier, but she did make several friends who didn't mind her size and didn't make fun of her.

In fact, she found herself much happier without him.

Jimmy gave her a small, grateful smile. "Can you guys help me find her? Dandy Mott is still out there. Chester is still out there. I don't want anything to happen to her."

There was a wave of murmurs that washed over his friends.

"Look, guys. I know I probably messed up real bad this time, but I'm really scared for Madi. I promise that it won't happen, again."

"Come on! Madi is our family!" Desiree shouted. "Jimmy is a dick, but we all knew that. What's important now is that she's okay!"

When Jimmy shot her a grateful look, she merely turned her nose at him. "Not doing this for you, white boy. I still think Mr. Tall, Dark, and Handsome is better for her."

He clenched his jaw. It didn't take a genius to figure out that Morgan was better than him. Other than the skin colour, Jimmy really didn't have anything over him.

"I'll get him. If anything, he can help me look for her." He was willing to give her up if it meant knowing that she was safe and happy because he knew that that wasn't the life he could give her. Maybe there was something wrong with him, but he kept making these same mistakes again and again. His Madi didn't deserve that.

"You do that." Desiree's tone softened. "You're a good boy, Jimmy, but she's delicate. I don't want to, one day, see her broken beyond repair."

"I know." He didn't want that either.

He got on his bike and quickly rode down to the club, while the others started their search. The club was as packed as he remembered. The dark atmosphere was cold without her to guide him. He as uncomfortable with the way everyone was pointing and whispering at him. He knew he should've been used to that by now, but he couldn't stop the way it still bothered him.

"Hello, Jimmy Darling. How can I help you, tonight?" he heard the low voice behind him and quickly rotated around.

"Have you seen, Madi?" he asked.

"No… Should I be concerned?" Morgan frowned at him. His relaxed stance stiffened as if he was anticipating a hard blow.

Jimmy swallowed, wondering if he was going to be knocked out, tonight. "She's missing. I fucked up bad. I know I don't deserve her. I know I'm not good for her, but I love her. I'm willing to let her go as long as she's safe."

"That's not mine or your decision. She chooses who she wants to be with," Morgan told him. "But that's not why you're here. You want me to help find her."

He nodded. "She thinks highly of you. Maybe if she's hiding from me, she'd at least go to you for help."

Morgan didn't need anymore convincing. T o be honest, the moment he heard that she was missing, he wanted to punch the man out and jump into his car, but he couldn't do that. He had too much respect for Madison. It didn't matter if he would always think that Jimmy wasn't right for her. All that mattered was that she was happy with whoever she was with.

And he couldn't deny the hurt that Madison couldn't see that. He wanted her to stay with him and he wanted her to choose him over the Lobster Boy.

As it were, he had to be content with hoping that she was fine and he'd have another chance to just see her, again.

"Get in. We have no time to lose."

Jimmy didn't like the way Morgan was trying to order him around. If it had been any other time, he would've pitched a fit, but there _wasn't_ any time for that.

As he sat silently in the car, he wondered why he was so fearful, now. Just moments ago, he had pondered whether Madi could've survived a saw through her body. Now, he was wondering if someone could've murdered her in the woods.

Hew as such an idiot. If he could've only taken the time to think for even a second before he spoke, then all this could've been avoided.

"Tell me what happened," Morgan demanded, finally breaking the silence. "Other than you _fucked up_ , what did you do?"

"Why does it matter?" he grumbled.

"I need to know if I have to kill you or not after this," was the blunt reply.

He paled. He had no doubt that Morgan could break him in half if he wanted to.

"I got someone pregnant," he eventually confessed.

The car suddenly stopped and he truly wondered if Morgan was going to kill him then and there and dump his body in a ditch.

"It's when someone spiked my drink!" he tried to defend himself. "That was the only time I've ever cheated on her… Well… Other than after she left me… But Maggie is dead anyway and the baby is gone."

Morgan had no idea what was happening at the Cabinet of Curiosities. Was everyone there just dropping like flies? He was definitely not letting her stay there after hearing this. If he had to, he would provide them both with a place to live.

He started up the car, again. "We'll find her quickly and then, I'm taking her away from there."

"That's fine! But I thought you were going to let her choose for herself." Jimmy was feeling the dread that maybe this time, Madi wouldn't choose him anymore.

"I never said she had to go alone, but I've seen enough to know that place isn't healthy for her. You can come, too. It's up to you." Morgan may have thought Jimmy was handsome, but he also thought the man was a selfish, cheating bastard. It was difficult for him to see the Lobster Boy in a good light, now.

When they finally arrived, the camp was already deserted. Everyone had gone out to look for her.

Morgan and Jimmy went on their separate ways. Both knew that if they stayed together any longer, only one would make it out alive.

Jimmy stumbled around the woods, looking everywhere for her. They had already lost too much time. She might not even be there anymore. Someone could've already taken her away. Should he have gone over to the Mott's mansion just to check it?

He really wasn't sure of anything, anymore.

…

I watched him crouch down in front of me. His dark eyes stared deep into my soul. "I thought you guys only came out during on Hallowe'en when someone performs."

He chuckled. 'That is what they like to believe. Most spirits are restricted to the darkest day of the year, but not me. I am _much_ more, Madison."

What did he mean by that? "And what do you want from me? You didn't seem to care last time, why now? What makes this time any different?"

He hummed. "Believe me, your soul was calling out to me, last time, but there was just a little issue." He leaned forward. "Join us, Madison." H e cupped my chin. His breath brushed against my ear. It was like cold frost. Did the dead breathe? "Your family is waiting for you."

I looked over to the spirits standing around us. They all smiled and waved at me. They did all look very friendly, but _did_ want to go, anymore? I didn't have anyone when I practically begged him to take me, but now, even without Jimmy, I wasn't' alone. I was going to end up leaving all my friends behind. Would they miss me? I didn't want to hurt them.

"I…"

Maybe I wasn't ready, after all.

"What is there to think about?" he purred. "Those people don't want you with them. You're different. You belong with us."

I shook my head, feeling the doubt rising.

"Just tell the girl, already!" the back of his head sneered. "Tell her why she's so different! Maybe, then, she'll finally stop clinging on to her pretend games!"

Edward sighed. "I was hoping to skip all the history and technicalities, but it can't be helped."

"What do you mean?" They were making absolutely no sense. What did they know that I didn't?

"No!" I heard a snarl from the right. I turned just as a shadow flew out, but green mist wrapped itself around it. I saw a flicker of his face peek through before dissolving back into darkness.

"I think you've had enough freedom," the back of Mordrake cackled. "We've grown stronger since the last time we've met."

"Listen, Madison. Haven't you ever wondered _why_ you're different? Don't you ever think that this world has done you wrong? What did you ever do to deserve this half-life? You die and die and die. For what?" He tilted his head. His dark orbs were like the abyss staring back at me.

"You're dying because of _him_." He never elaborated who _he_ was, but my eyes instinctively looked over to the demon who was struggling futilely against his restraints. "He was the one who forced you into this life. He is the reason you keep dying, now."

"I-I don't understand," I whispered. What did the demon have anything to do with it?

Mordrake sighed. "You're so innocent, so naïve. He wants to corrupt you. You don't want him. He will tear you apart."  
"Tell me what you meant what you said it was his fault!" I exclaimed, feeling frustrated that he was still keeping me in the dark." What does he have anything to do with this? I didn't even know about its existence until recently."

He chuckled. "Oh, you've known him for far longer. Why don't you tell her, mutt? Why don't you tell her the reason she's suffering, now?"

I looked over to the demon who had stilled. His shadowy body were slow wisps in the night. " _Please_ , I need to know." My heart was racing in my chest. It felt as if everything was going to change, tonight. I was finally going to have the answers I had been searching for all my life.

The demon remained deathly silent and then, eh disappeared, leaving only the green mist to float freely where his body had once been.

"What a coward!" the back of the head scoffed.

"Then _you_ tell me!" I redirected the question back at Mordrake. My ire and frustration rising as I was getting nowhere with them. "You're implying that you know so much, then tell me why I have to live like some Godforsaken vampire!"

He stroked my jaw, trying to calm the anger that was finally boiling over. I was so sick and tired of having absolutely no control over my life. "Please, just tell me…"

"You're like this because he died. You allowed yourself to be consumed by the fire in your soul and it burned so hot. It burned and burned until it consumed you. That volatile magic that you possessed came out so furiously that it took everything you were – your body, your mind, your spirit. You never recovered from it. "

His lips brushed my ear. "You're like this because you were never reborn. You're not like them. You're like us because you're not truly alive. He held on too tightly to what had been left behind and your spirit never managed to put itself back together.

"Madison, you're as dead as the rest of us here."

* * *

 _AUTHOR'S NOTE_

Well, there we have it! Did any of you guys expect that?

And this story was supposed to end at Chapter Thirty, but me being me, it's got away and expanded itself, so I'm not going to end it here. I'll explain more in the next chapter. I hope it didn't get too confusing, but I will gladly answer any questions if it doesn't spoil anything. And I would also love to hear your theories.

Also, I've finally started writing my Crimson Peak story. My aim is to make it a one-shot, again, but since the Alien one ended up being fifteen chapters long, I can't be sure what kind of story it's going to be. I just ended up with some confusing information. I was looking up information on Thomas and Lucille Sharpe, but there really isn't much. I did find the biography that was released on Guillermo del Toro's page. It was all on Lucille, but the one I needed is Thomas (mainly his age and timeline), so I tried to make the connection and this is what I gathered from it…

Lucille Sharpe:

Date of Birth: April 31st, 1868 (Age 32 in the movie?)

Parents: James William Sharpe, Beatrice Alexandra Sharpe

Lucille was eight when she saw the wet nurse breastfeed Thomas and she was thirteen when they were intimate in the attic. She was twenty when Thomas was considered an adult at that time (What age is considered an adult in late 1800s England?). Going by this information, I'm going to assume that Thomas is around seven years younger than Lucille (Perhaps 6-8 years, depending on how long they were breastfed for back then. It could, of course, be longer than two years.

With this, it would mean that Thomas was around seven or eight years old when she was thirteen!

I really don't feel comfortable writing about that in my story, so I'm wondering if you guys have any more information on ages or perhaps I should just readjust them to reduce the age gap and make it a little less creepy or perhaps not to mention the ages at all…

Anyway! I didn't mean to be so long winded there.

Thank you **Mystery Angle, HerOverYonder, Applejax XD** , guest ( **anonymouscsifan** ).

 **anonymouscsifan** : I think the pregnancy will be on the backburner for a while after what Mordrake just told her. And I'm always an episode behind, now, before I update. I don't know where all the time has gone!

 **Mystery Angle** : I hope you liked this!

 **HerOverYonder** : Uuuummm… I may have ruined a decent ending already and it's not even the last chapter, yet. Oops! I _am_ thinking of a happy ending for one of the seasons, but it all depends when I actually write the story. I tend to change the plot and add twists as I write.

 **Applejax XD** : Teehee… Is this what you expected?

Thank you as well to everyone who has favourited and followed this story.

Please, leave a review if you enjoyed this.


	31. Chapter 31

**CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE**

He had to be lying. What he said made no sense at all. He was speaking as if I had somehow been reincarnated, as if it was something _normal_. Surely, he had to be lying. I would know if I was dead, wouldn't I?

I placed my hand over my heart. I was warm. My heart beat in my chest – fluttering like a bird as my thoughts raced. I was alive. I _had_ to be alive. If not, what had I been suffering for?

That was right, I had to be alive to die. Death didn't exist without life. But had I really been dying? The dead didn't come back to life like me. The dead stayed dead, or they'd become spirits.

I looked at Edward Mordrake. "I… I don't believe you." He was a spirit who killed and consumed their souls to become stronger. He _fed_ on misery. Why wouldn't he lie just to make me fall for it?

He chuckled. "You may believe whatever you like, but why would I lie? I've had my fill for the year. I'm more powerful than I had ever been. I'm not hungry, anymore. And I'm asking you to join us as you are now."

"How? I'm not a spirit like you – "

He smiled indulgently at me.

"N-no…" I shook my head. I couldn't be. I was alive. I couldn't really be dead. I walked amongst them – my friends, my enemies, my loves.

I was able to go anywhere I liked. I wasn't bound to any place. I just never had the means to go anywhere far. I didn't need to eat souls to keep existing. _I was alive!_

…Right?

I continued to shake my head in denial, scooting away until my back hit a large tree. "N-no. No, no, no, no, no. You're lying! I was born in Jupiter. I had a mother… A mother who loved me!"

"Did she? When were you born, Madison?" he asked me. "What year?"

I stopped to think. A number instantly popped up in my mind, but it didn't make sense. We weren't even close to that year! I dug into my head for something more reasonable, but none came. I could picture my mother so clearly, though. She had been such a beautiful woman. She… She… The details suddenly didn't seem so clear.

"Why are you alone, now?" he asked. I hated that unwavering smile. It was as if he was speaking to a child who didn't understand anything.

"S-she… She died. She forgot about me. She must've had some kind of disease and then, she was gone…" I whispered. Had she really been the one to forget or was it me?

"Who was she? How did she die?" he pushed me.

"I don't know!" I shouted back. I burned and died one day and then, she was simply gone as if she was never there.

No.

No, that wasn't true. I had been a very young child. She always neglected me, so I stayed in my room. I made my own friends. I made a family who loved me, but then, she gave me away. She didn't want me anymore or maybe she didn't have the means to keep me. I never knew why she gave me up.

She sent me into a home where I didn't even have the freedom to pretend any longer. Everyone always stared at me. They always judged me. I hated it there. I hated the other children who all thought I was some sort of freak. No one liked me. No one ever wanted to take me home. I had to watch all the other children be adopted, while I was left behind. I was ridiculed for being undesirable.

But then, he came. He had such a gentle smile. He took me with him. I was finally being adopted! But the mommy there didn't like me. I had a nice daddy, but she hated me. She thought I was bad for _him_ – my new brother. My new brother was wonderful. He played with me. He shared his toys with me. He held me when I was scared. He'd tease me at times, but I knew he was only playing around. He'd always make things better. I loved him.

I loved him so much, but he died. He died and I had to bring him back because without him, I simply didn't exist. He was my everything. He was the world that I wanted and I had the power to bring him back, then.

Even though he had come back wrong, I continued to love him and I knew he still loved me. And then… that demon. It must've been the same demon. It took over his body and promised to make things better as long as I did anything it asked. I went along with everything, even when it hurt. Even when it hurt me, so much. I had to watch it seduce other women. I had to allow it to touch me the way I only wanted him.

Fortunately, he _did_ recover and I was able to have him back in my arms. I was so happy. We had a new life ahead of us. We were free from all the other restraints that had kept us stagnant. I had a whole list of things I wanted to do. I had so, so much I wanted to do with him, but he had been taken away from me, again.

In a single instant, I had lost him and they told me I couldn't bring him back a second time.

Tears fell profusely down my face as I recalled a life I had lost. It had been going so well. We were finally getting everything together. Why did it have to end? Why did he have to die?

"You lost control of your powers and it consumed everything, but it also damaged your spirit. You weren't able to be reborn properly after he died."

So I was really dead. "I loved him so much," I sobbed. "He was everything to me. Those bastard had it coming! I hope that they're still burning in Hell!"

"Oh, they are," the back of his head cackled. "They'll be burning for a long, long time!"

"Are you ready, then?" Mordrake asked me. His hands clasped rightly on to my shoulder. "We can give you the peace you desire. You won't have to burn anymore when the sun comes up. I can protect you. We can end this cycle."

It didn't take me long to choose. "No, I have to go back to him."

"Your Kyle? He's dead." His tone was becoming condescending.

"You know full well that he isn't!" I hissed. "Just because he has a different name doesn't mean he's not the same person! I know that he's still in there. I'm not going with you!"

I whacked his hand away. "Even if I have to watch him h-hate me. I'll be there for him. I'm here for a reason and even if it's to simply ease his suffering, I will!"

Mordrake sneered at me. "Why must the two of you cause everyone so much trouble? No one likes you in the afterlife. You're tearing the timelines apart and soon, you'll understand the gravity of what you've done."

With that, he was gone and I was left to my own thoughts.

There was so much I had to tell him. I couldn't believe that I had forgotten an entire life – one that had been so extraordinary.

I looked at my hands and tried to pull out the same powers I had before, but none came. I was cold inside. The powers were gone.

I wiped away my tears. Only a little bit of the magic was left. I was going to use every bit of it to help him.

"Madison?"

I looked up and saw Morgan looking back at me in shock. "Madison, what are you doing here?"

"I'm sorry. Were you looking for me?" I sniffed, brushing away the remnants of what had just occurred.

He gathered me into his arms, stroking my hair and kissing my head. "Don't do that anymore. I've been searching for hours." He brought the coat he had given me up to cover me from the sun. I hadn't realised how late, or early, it had gotten. "The others have returned to camp. I'll escort you back."

I nodded, silently.

…

Jimmy was devastated that he couldn't find her. He felt as if he had combed through the forest several times, but she seemed to have disappeared into thin air. The others had given up once the sun began to peek through the trees. He couldn't blame them. They had been searching for hours.

He could only hope that she was safe. Maybe she had gone to the club. He just had to wait to contact Morgan again, later.

When he walked back to camp, it was silent. He figured that everyone had gone to sleep, but when he caught sight of a trail of red, he froze.

Was that blood?

He followed the path to the grill.

At first glance, he could see that the tables were slightly slanted, one was knocked over, but nothing too out of the ordinary. They were a rather messy bunch, especially after a long night.

When he walked over to the other side, he froze and ran towards the small form that was laying with her face planted into the grass.

"Suzi!" he cried. He flipped her over and saw the gunshot wound at the centre of her forehead. She had also been grazed several times in the arms. "Suzi…" She was gone.

Who had done this?!

He broke off a chair leg and readied himself. He was going to kill this motherfucker!

Unfortunately, the next bodies that met him were also dead. Paul and Penny were together. His body covered hers as if he was trying to protect her, but it was no use. They shared identical bullet wounds to the head. Their eyes were still half opened, staring into nothing. "No… No…"

His world was crashing down all around him. His family was dying. His thoughts went to Madi who was still missing. Did that mean she was safe or had the murderer just gotten to her first?

He quickly shook them away. Unless there was a body, he was going to allow himself to believe that she was fine.

"Eve?" He burst into her trailer and found no one. That was better than finding her dead. It'd be great if she was still alive. He knew that she'd be able to help him take this lunatic down.

"Elsa?" He had gone to her trailer next, but all her things were gone. Could it be? Had it been Elsa who had done this? But why? Was it for the money? She didn't have to kill them all! There was no reason for this massacre! "Elsa!" he roared, until he heard a gun cock behind him.

He fully expected to see the blonde woman, but what he saw made his blood boil. "You!"

Dandy Mott.

He should've known. No matter what, the rich brat was going to try to take everything from him and he was succeeding. "Why? What the hell have we ever done to you? If it's about Madi, then blame _me_. They had nothing to do with it!"

The other man grinned. "It was never about her or them or you! Well…. Maybe you. All I wanted to do was join you guys, but I don't need that, now. The stage is all mine. When people come, they will come to see _me_!"

He looked ridiculous in his clown suit. Blood had splattered all over the colourful costume, but he didn't even seem to be aware of it. His eyes were crazed as he continued to smile at Jimmy.

"You're fuckin' crazy!" Jimmy growled. His claw clenched around the chair leg. Was he going to be able to disarm him before the gun fired? He had to try. He couldn't allow himself to just stand here and take it.

Jimmy launched himself to the side. A bullet quickly came his way. It pierced his shoulder, but he refused to stop. When he was close enough, he swung the pipe.

It missed as Dandy stumbled away with a laugh.

The gun was suddenly pointed at his face. Was that it? Had the other man finally won? After taking everything…

" _No!_ " There was a scream from the right. A small, bright body flew into Dandy who let out a startled shout.

"Madison!" Morgan ran over, trying to pry the burning body away from the mad man, but her clothes had already caught fire and it was burning his hands. He couldn't get a good grip on her before his muscles forced him to retract away.

Jimmy stepped forward. His heart raced as he saw her burn. He knew she would come back later, but the sight of her in such agony was painful to see.

"Get off! Get off!" Dandy screamed as her hands dug into his eyes. Blood dripped from the sockets, but try as he might, he couldn't push her off. Her flesh was already beginning to melt into his.

With one hand, he groped around for the gun he had dropped. Everything was burning around him, but when his fingers caught the cool metal, he quickly grabbed it and without thinking, he fired.

…

The moment Morgan and I returned to camp, I could sense that something was terribly wrong. It was very quiet and although the sun had already risen, I was still able to see the sprinkles of lights turned on through Morgan's large coat.

"Eve?" I called out, but not a single person replied. I wandered around until I heard his voice. That despicable man who had been haunting me since that day he found me in the alley.

I chanced a peek through a small gap between the buttons and felt my heart stop. He had a gun pointed at Jimmy. I knew he wasn't going to be able to get away from that range.

All thoughts quickly fled my mind and I threw off the coat that was hindering me. The sun seared my skin, immediately, but it didn't matter. I was going to come back and even if I wasn't, I was going to take Dandy Mott with me.

I threw my body against his and the two of us tumbled to the ground. He let out a scream when I dug my fingers into his eyes. My burning hands were creating a black hole where his eyeballs were. It matched the black heart that was still beating in his chest. "I hate you!" I shouted. "Why can't you leave us alone?!"

"Get off! Get off!" He tried to buckle me away, but at this point, I wasn't even sure if it was possible. My hands were stuck to his face. "You fuckin' bitch!"

 _Bang!_

I didn't even feel anything from it. The fire had been burning so hot that it had seemed so insignificant. All I heard was the loud sound and then, everything began to quiet down.

It was as if a weight had been lifted off me. My body felt so light that I thought I had finally turned to ash and floated into the air, but I could still hear them around me. I could feel hands on my body.

I still had a body.

"He shot her!"

Jimmy…

He was safe.

My last conscious thought was for him and then, I was gone.

* * *

 _AUTHOR'S NOTE_

Well… That is the beginning of the end. Only one more chapter to go and I'm feeling a little sad. I watched the first episode of AHS: Hotel and will be watching more later. I haven't caught a glimpse of Evan Peters' character, yet, but I do like John and the person in the white suit kind of reminds me of something else that I enjoy writing about.

Anyway, I've also posted the first part of my Crimson Peak story. As a warning, there will be incest in it (I'm sure anyone who has watched the movie will expect it), but I'd love it if you guys gave it a read if you're interested.

Thank you **Mystery Angle, HerOverYonder** , guests ( **anonymouscsifan, Guest** ) for reviewing!

 **Mystery Angle** : Thank you!

 **anonymouscsifan** : I hope my explanation wasn't too confusing! Thanks for the information on Crimson Peak! The more I read into whatever I was reading, the more creeped out I got… In terms of the age from before the movie, I decided to just leave everyone to assume. I think I'll use your ages for the times when Edith appears, if you don't mind. I've already posted the first part… Because, of course, I can't seem to handle one-shots and they end up far too long. The first part is slightly over 7kwords and I have a feeling having a 30k-40k one-shot would be too much for anyone.

 **Guest** : Thank you for reviewing!

 **HerOverYonder:** HAHA! I actually never even thought of it that way…

Thank you as well to everyone who has favourited and followed this story.

If you liked this chapter, please leave a review!


	32. Chapter 32

**CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO**

He watched as the fire began to die off. That had never happened before. Whenever she burned, she burned so completely that there were only ashes and a scorch mark. Why wasn't it happening, now?

"Get her off me!" Dandy continued to scream. His face was a melted mess. Black and red. Blisters were everywhere. He as a pitiful sight, but nothing like the state she was in.

She was completely unrecognisable. It was as if someone had thrown her into the fire and let the body burn out until it was charcoal. What did this mean? Why had it stopped?

Morgan snatched the gun from the deranged man's hand. "Go to Hell."

 _Bang!_

Dandy fell quiet with his eyes staring at the sky, but he wasn't going up there. He already had a place saved for him down in Hell where Jimmy hoped that he would burn for all of eternity for everything that he had done.

"M-Madi…" He hesitantly placed his hand on her. The skin – no, there was no skin left. Her flesh was a texture that he could not describe. It made his stomach churn and he quickly turned to the side and spewed out whatever was in his stomach. It burned his throat and assaulted his nose, but the scent of her burnt flesh was worse.

Once he was done, he knelt back down beside her. "Madi, come on. It's okay, now."

Why was her body still there? It couldn't be! How was she supposed to come back if it didn't leave?

"Come on, wake up!" He didn't know where to put his hands to shake her. If she was still there, then that meant she was still alive. How much pain was she in? "Morgan, get some pain killers for her. We need to bring her in. S-she's hurt! We have to help her!"

Morgan closed his eyes. He had never seen her burn before and he wished that he never had to. The sight was enough to crush him. HE recalled how she told him that she would always wake up at a slightly different place every time. She also told him that she had never tried killing herself any other way. Neither of them wanted to test the theory and he was glad that they hadn't. "Jimmy, she's gone."

He placed his hand on the other man's shoulder. There was nothing they could do now, but give her a proper burial. She deserved at least that much. "Jimmy, she's de – "

"No!"

Claws whacked his hand away.

"No, Madi can't be gone. I still have so much to tell her. I… I never even had the chance to apologise. It wasn't her fault." Jimmy was hysterical. 'What have I done? The last things I said to her was that…" Thinking about it now, he had to quickly stop the thought before it completely consumed him. He took several deep breaths, swallowing the sob that was clawing its way up his throat. "When Maggie died, I stupidly implied if maybe everything would be alright… if she… if she took her place…"

What a fuckin' asshole. If Madi had taken Maggie's place, then she would've died then and there. She would've been split in half… He would've had less time with her.

No, he _could've_ had more time with her. Instead, he made it seem as if someone else meant more to him. There was no one that he loved more than Madi. He just hadn't been thinking and ran his mouth like the idiot he was.

He had hurt her and she… she saved his life by giving up her own. HE didn't deserve it.

He…

Pain hit his left cheek and he fell over to the side. Morgan stood over him with his fist still raised. He had never seen the other man so angry. He was always so calm. Seeing the larger man, now, Jimmy didn't doubt that he could kill him in an instant. And he was going to welcome it.

"She loved you more than life and that was how you treated her?" Morgan growled. "If I had known, I would've taken her away whether she liked it or not. At least, she'd still be alive."

Jimmy finally allowed the tears to fall. If he had been a better man, he would've allowed it to happen a long time ago. From the start, he knew that he wasn't good for her, but it had been impossible for him to let her go. He needed her like he needed air.

He looked at Morgan, his intentions were clear in his eyes, but the other man sneered back at him. "If you want to end your life, you can go do it yourself." He threw the gun at his feet.

Jimmy stared at what took Madi from him and reached over to hold it gingerly in his hands. Blood was all over it.

Hers.

He slowly placed it against his temple. If this was what it took to be with her, he'd gladly do it. 'I love you, Madi." His finger pulled the trigger and a soft click was heard. "No… No…" He cocked it and pulled the trigger, again.

Nothing.

The gun was empty.

"No!" he screamed, tossing the weapon away.

"J-Jimmy?"

He lifted his head to see a tall form walk out from behind a tent. She had an axe in her hand. "Eve…" he whispered. He was glad that his friend was alright. He would've hugged her had it been any other time, but he had no energy. He had no motivation.

"The white boy's alive!" Desiree came out after Eve. In her hand was a frying pan. "Damn… Thought we were the only ones left." She dropped to her knees beside him and pulled him into a tight hug. "I'm so glad you're safe."

She, then, turned to Morgan who was standing off to the side, looking as if he was about to murder someone, probably him. "Come give me a hug! Stop brooding like that!"

There was hesitation in his steps, but Morgan walked over and wrapped his arms around her.

"Did either of you find Madison?" Eve asked frowning at her surroundings and the bloodshed that had just occurred. Her eyes settled on the two bodies on the ground, but there was no sign of recognition on her face. "I'm glad he's finally dead. After what he did to the others… I wish I could've been the one to kill him."

"Madison is dead." Morgan had been the one to break the news.

"What?" Eve gasped. Her gaze went back to the burnt body. "No… " Realisation finally dawned on her. "But she'll come back, right?"

"Not this time…" Jimmy whispered. "She's gone for good. She's never going to come back." What was he going to do? There was no Jimmy without Madi. She had been his everything.

"Let's… Let's get her away from that bastard," Desiree said. "He doesn't deserve to even touch her."

The three of them went to work, but Jimmy couldn't handle it anymore. He pulled himself away from the scene and managed to stumble into his tent before collapsing.

Her scent immediately puffed up, enveloping him in its sweet embrace. 'I love you, Madi," he sobbed. "I'm so sorry. I'm so, so sorry."

He cried until it felt as if he shouldn't have any more tears to shed, but they just kept coming.

Eventually, his exhausted body granted him mercy and he passed out in the bed he shared with his Madi.

In his sleep, he still had her. Her long hair tickled his nose and then, she looked up and gave him a soft kiss. Her pink lips were curled into a loving smile. "Jimmy, I love you." Her voice as like a melody he wished he could replay over and over, again.

"I love you, too." He kissed her back, enjoying the way she melted in his arms, but then, her scent was covered by the smell of smoke., It filled his nose and hindered his sight.

She was no longer in his arms, but he could hear her screaming. She was crying out to him.

"Madi!" he shouted. As he tried to get out of the bed, it started sinking, pulling him downward. "No!"

Her screams echoed, but he couldn't reach her. She was dying and there was nothing he could do.

"Jimmy!"

His eyes snapped open and for a moment, he thought he saw her hovering over him, but in a split second, she was gone and he was left with the reminder that he was never going to see her, again.

"Jimmy?" Eve sat on the bed beside him. Her hand stroked through his matted hair. "Everything's set up for the funeral. Morgan brought in a proper casket and… and everyone is waiting." Her voice cracked and she tried her best to hold back the tears.

He didn't want to get out of bed. He didn't want to face the world and accept that she was truly gone, but he also couldn't miss this. It was the least he could do. It was the _only_ thing he could do for her, now.

With heavy limbs and a spinning head, he got out of bed, following Eve to the centre of the camp. There were black and brown caskets everywhere – one for every member of their family who had died, but only one caught his attention. It was white with silver embroidering. It was the most intricate one and he knew why. Despite everything, Morgan had loved her as much as he did, but the other man was keeping it together far better. He wasn't a blubbering mess.

Jimmy let out a shaky breath and looked around, again. He saw the eccentric lawyer – Charlie – beside Morgan. He looked somber and was quietly speaking to the other man.

He also noted that Dot and Bette were present. They were standing across from him, beyond the row of caskets. They looked as if they wanted to speak to him, but he couldn't muster any words.

The funeral went by quickly. Whoever wanted to speak, spoke for them. Otherwise, the digging took up the rest of the day. They all did their part.

When everything was said and done, he couldn't sleep. Instead, he had Morgan drive him back to the club to retrieve his motorcycle. It was a silent ride and he was grateful for it. The tension still hung heavy between them.

"Thanks," he mumbled before swinging his legs over his bike, but before he left, he turned back one more time. "I mean that. Thank you for taking care of Madi when I couldn't. Thank you for being so accepting with our relationship. I know you could've taken her away if you wanted to and even now… I'm glad you didn't because then, I wouldn't have been able to…" He stopped. "I'm just really grateful and you know what? I _did_ image having Madi between us, while we fucked. I wished I could've been more open to the idea."

Morgan was silent after he finished, but some of the darkness receded. "I hope you find peace wherever you're going. I'm guessing I won't ever seen you, again?"

"Yeah…" He started the engine and rode down the street. He couldn't say it, but it didn't matter anymore.

Once he arrived at the mansion, he stormed into the empty household. There was absolutely no one there. When he passed through the recreation room, he saw a bathtub full of blood. What a sick bastard…

He grabbed a fire poker and began to smash through each room – all the precious little trinkets that Dandy Mott had valued. He allowed all the anger to run through him. "You fuckin' asshole! You got off too easily!" he shouted.

He wished that he could've prolonged the suffering. He wished that he could've chained him up in his precious home and made him feel every ounce of pain he had inflicted on Madi and then, he was going to burn this estate down.

Even without the bastard, he was still going to burn down the Mott legacy. They didn't deserve to be remembered.

He stumbled up a small closet-like room and the giant scent immediately brought him elsewhere. 'Madi…" he breathed. His eyes caught sight of ripped pages scattered on the desk and floor. He couldn't help but laugh at the chicken scratch. They were even worse than his and he had claws for hands.

"Oh, Madi…" He could see his name sprinkling the pages.

…

I woke up to darkness, but it was soon invaded by the brightness of the sun. It was so strange seeing it on my skin, but I couldn't feel the heat of it. I took a moment to relax in the light before a dark form appeared beside me.

I let out a groan. "Can't you leave me alone? I don't want to go with you _anywhere_. All you've given me are _lies_! You said I was already dead, then what am I now? _Extra_ dead?"

"You were shot in the heart. Your love for him is what kept you there. Haven't you noticed? Every time you died and came back, you always appeared closer to him." He chuckled at my dumbfounded look. "I'm giving you one last chance t- "

A ball of darkness struck him and then, I was alone, again. I blinked before turning my attention to my surrounds. I could see the newly turned over soil. I must've been buried beneath there somewhere, but where was Jimmy?

I closed my eyes and willed my heart to bring me to him, now. If that had been my entire existence, then it had to work.

When I opened my eyes, again, I could see myself in a familiar room, but everything was smashed – the windows, the décor, the prized figurines Dandy had loved so much.

I heard a thump and followed the noise to where he was still knocking everything over. "Oh, Jimmy…" I wished that I could've held him one last time. This wasn't how I wanted to go. I wanted to be with him. I wanted him to know how much I loved him no matter what happened.

"Jimmy…" I tried to put my arms around him, but he simply walked through me.

He went to the cellar and began to break the wine bottles that were stored there for decades. Nora had always scolded anyone who tried to put their hands on them. Where was she, now? Hopefully not stuck here.

Jimmy brought bottles after bottles up stairs, leaving a trail of red, white , and pink wine everywhere. I thought he was merely continuing his line of destruction, until he pulled out a lighter.

"Oh, no… Don't do this!" I begged. "Don't do this, Jimmy. I can wait. I'll wait forever for you. We'll find each other again in another life. I know we will, but don't do this!"

He let out a deep breath and suddenly, the entire room was ablaze. HE laid down among the wreckage. I could see pages of my journal in his hands. "I'll be there, soon, Madi. Don't give up on me."

Never.

He was my everything. My spirit sang to him.

It was painful watching the fire lick at his skin. His screams of agony cut deep and I wondered if he felt this way when I told him to bring me to the sun. I shouldn't have. It wasn't right. I was so deep in my own misery that I used him as a means to an end. I didn't know how much it would hurt him. I hadn't cared at the time.

His body jerked, but he forced himself to keep still – to override every survival instinct in his nature.

"Please, make it stop…" I sobbed, covering my face so I wouldn't have to keep seeing his body burn. Why would he do this to himself? There was so much more to life.

No matter how much I admonished him for being an absolute idiot, I knew that I would've done the exact same thing. I was so utterly in love with him that I wasn't sure how I was going to keep sane without him.

How could someone make me feel this way? It was as if I couldn't even be my own person. For goodness sake, I had come back from a different life just to be with him. How did I not even know I was dead, all this time?

It was so confusing and who was Mordrake and that… that demon? I could remember it possessing Kyle before. Was it following me – us? Why?

"Madi…" His arms suddenly enveloped me and I looked at his smiling face staring back. "I love you…"

"You're so stupid!" I hit his chest. "You weren't supposed to just do that to yourself!"

"How else was I going to find you, again?" His smile never wavered. He wiped away my tears and placed a gentle kiss on my lips. "I love you so much. I would've burned this entire world to the ground if it meant being with you, again."

The tears came falling anew and I threw my arms around him. "I love you, too."

* * *

 _AUTHOR'S NOTE_

And that's it, everyone! Thank you for staying with me for the longest story I've written for this series. I hope you liked it.

Once I finish watching Hotel, I will see if I'll be able to put Madi into it. In the meanwhile, I have something done that is related to Roanoke. It's a pretty short side story, probably only a few chapters long. When I post it, I'll be sure to inform you guys on this story.

Thank you **NadiixD** and **Mystery Angle** for reviewing!

 **NadiixD** : I'll be sure to finish it, soon!

 **Mystery Angle** : I've been pretty sad that he seems to be a side character for half of the seasons. I hope I'll be able to fit Madi in there, somewhere.

Thank you as well to everyone who has favourited and followed this story!

Please, leave a review if you've enjoyed this and if you have any questions pertaining to this story or previous ones.


	33. Author's Note 1

**AUTHOR'S NOTE #1: VANITY**

This is probably not the notice you guys were expecting, but I just posted the first chapter of my side story for Roanoke. It's called _Vanity_. If I end up writing about the main plot as well, I will continue it on there. I will be posting another author's note if I post the first chapter to AHS: Hotel as well!

Thank you **Mystery Angle** and guest ( **anonymouscsifan** ) for reviewing!

 **anonymouscsifan** : Aww… I was wondering where you had gone for the previous chapter. Sorry, I haven't finished watching AHS: Hotel, yet, but I swear I'll get around to it! I just got a new computer and… I kind of did a _lot_ of shopping, so I've been busy wasting my money. Ahaha… At least I'm stimulating the economy? Anyway, I will finish the season, soon! Promise!

 **Mystery Angle** : Thank you so, so much! I've decided to start uploading a side story that has been nagging at me for a few weeks, now. The first chapter is posted if you want to give that a little read.

Thank you again to everyone who has favourited and followed this story! I really appreciate each and every one of you!


	34. Author's Note 2

_AUTHOR'S NOTE_

The first chapter of my AHS:Hotel story is posted! The title is _Vacant_. I hope to see you all there!

Happy Holidays, everyone! And I'll see you in 2018!


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